GTB Marathon

The following information pertains to the Warmachine mod and is not canon to either FreeSpace or Blue Planet

GTF Achilles

Description:

Warmachine R2 Tech Description

The GTB Marathon is based on the stealth technology first deployed on the Pegasus fighter of the last war. Marathon is an interim craft, taking technologies that were cutting edge in the Second Incursion and bringing them to full maturation. It has been procured in small numbers for the last seven years. Unlike its small predecessor, the Marathon is a large bomber, measuring just under 46m in length and 36m in width, with a height of 12.6m.

The Marathon can be operated in two modes. Primarily it is operated in a stealthy configuration. It can also be flown in a "loud" configuration with better performance and additional weapons. Unlike conventional craft, the ship's afterburners do not provide a sudden burst of high speed in stealth mode. Instead, the Marathon's afterburners provide slow, steady, and most importantly stealthy acceleration over a much longer period of time. It takes half a minute to reach maximum speed while maintaining a stealthy profile, but that speed combined with the stealthy nature of the ship renders it almost physically impossible for this ship to be intercepted before it can strike its target - the Marathon will traverse the window where sensors can detect it in 2.67 seconds.

The Marathon's primary mission is to use stealth to slip into range of larger Shivan ships or installations and unleash specialized Firelance bombs while flying at high speeds and at close range. In support of that role, it has four massive shielded bomb bays. These are backed up by two articulated panels shielding a cluster of six direct fire hardpoints and a front-mounted quad Xiphos turret to provide the ship some self defense means.

While not at all maneuverable, the Marathon does have integrated reverse thrusters and can be flown in non-stealthy configurations where it can take advantage of two additional ventral missile stanchions. The main missile pods can carry a payload of twelve Shadowhawk anti-ship missiles or Firelance bombs. On two winglets midships are four stanchions for a respectable armament of Spectre or Thundercloud missiles. For self defense there is an internal magazine feeding two launchers along the fuselage for Wraith or Massacre missiles. Two hardpoints for mounting individual Sunflare heavy ASMs are on the belly for non-stealthy missions. A minimum crew of two is required to operate the craft, a dedicated pilot and an operator for the extensive ECM and stealth suites. Intended for long sorties there is a spartan - euphemistically referred to as "efficient" in the design documents - internal space for the crew to rest in. Total life support is for a deployment crew of four persons for up to ten days, though most sorties are planned for a crew of two to stretch the loiter length and take advantage of passive stealth to allow the crew to rest. Internal access is from a cramped hatch directly behind the chin Xiphos turret.

The Marathon was designed in the PHILIPPIDES program to be a devastating raiding craft that can be flexibly used as a stealthy precision and medium bomber. As of this writing, the Marathon has been deployed in both roles against non-combat and light fleet assets but has not yet been used against major warships. The PHILIPPIDES program provided for above average subspace maneuverability to aid in quick exfiltration after delivering its payload and wargaming shows that a small number of well-supplied Marathon wings could interdict Shivan convoys with near impunity. In the event of another Shivan incursion, all Marathon wings are expected to be deployed in this role to buy the Alliance as much time as possible to analyze the nature and scope of the threat. Any pilot assigned to these craft can expect to quickly find themselves behind Shivan lines should the enemy return.

Credits List

• Produced by Talhydras

Name Origin

Named after the site of an important battle in ancient Greece.

Performance:

Warmachine R2

Type	Stealth/Strike Bomber
Manufacturer	Nankam Aeronautical
Maneuverability	Low
Yaw, Pitch, Roll	7.5, 7.4, 7.5 s
Max Velocity	80 - 100 mps forward, 20 mbps aft, 10 mpbs lateral
Max Afterburner Velocity	190 mps forward
Armor	High
Hitpoints	375
Shields	600
Length	46 m

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

Warmachine
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout
1st	3	Xiphos
1st	3	Xiphos
Compatible Primaries
Xiphos, Kiya, Makhaira, Sarrisa, Khopesh

• Missile Banks

Warmachine
Bank	Capacity	Standard	Compatible
1st	64	Massacre	Massacre, Regret, Wraith
2nd	96	Thundercloud	Spectre, Phantom, Thundercloud
3rd	288	Firelance	Firelance, Shadowhawk
4th (Loud Only)	96	Sunflare	Sunflare

Veteran Comments

Please read the Veteran Comments policy before editing this section.

In current tables the Marathon has an unusual afterburner with very long 'run up'. This design is meant for particular kinds of missions and hasn't been well refined yet. You might want to change it for conventual uses.

Download link:

• Warmachine: https://fsnebula.org/mod/Warmachine