BACKGROUND
The Rattler was the first jet fighter produced by the terrorist organization known as Cobra. Prior to it's introduction Cobra mainly used surplus jets from 3rd world countries and black market arms dealers. They found this to be unsatsifactory as by and large the jets were of lower quality and capability compared to those of the 1st world nations in general and their nemesis organization GI Joe in particular.
Though subsonic, the Rattler is a very capable dogfighter as well as a just as capable attack craft. Being based on the venerable A-10 Thunderbolt of the U.S., the plane was quite sturdy. Once the technicians of Cobra got their hands on the basics and worked in quite a bit of their own high technology (fly by wire, top of the line flight computers etc) along with other defensive features (a manned twin turret at the mid fuselage) the Rattler is as good if not better than most of the planes it could hope to face in any air encounter including those of GI Joe.
Model Type - Rattler
Class - Ground attack fighter
Crew - 2
SDC By Location
Fuselage - 700
Cockpit - 300
Turret - 200
Engines (3) - 450 ea
Wings (2) - 400 ea
Tail - 450
30mm gun - 300
twin 20mm gun - 150
landing gear (3) - 100 ea
AR - 12 (Vehicle AR)
Armour - Stops all standard rounds upto and including 7.62mm. Cockpit area can stop upto and including 20mm rounds. Explosive and ramjet rounds are still effective.
Speed
Flying - 0 in full hover/VTOL mode, 720 kph in full flight mode
Range - 480 km combat radius with 1.5 hours over target
Statistics
Height - 4.5m
Length - 16.3m
Width - 17.6m
Weight - 21.4 tons fully loaded
Cargo - minimal survival gear
Power System - 3 x jet engines of unknown manufacture
Cost - unknown
Weapon
Weapon Type - 30mm gatling gun
Primary Purpose - anti-armour
Range - 2000m
Damage - 1d6x100sdc per burst, 1d6x10md in Rifts
Rate Of Fire - equal to pilots attacks
Payload - 70 bursts
Bonuses - 0
Weapon Type - twin 20mm autocannons
Primary Purpose - anit-aircraft
Range - 2000m
Damage - 8d6x10+60 sdc per burst, 8d6+6 in Rifts
Rate Of Fire - equal to gunners attacks
Payload - 200 bursts
Bonuses - 0
Optional use of explosive rounds (+50% damage) or ramjet rounds (double damage) in Rifts
Weapon Type - Hardpoints x 10
Primary Purpose - varies
Range - varies
Damage - varies
Rate Of Fire - 1 at a time equal to pilots attacks
Payload - 1 Light HE or HE Air to Air missile, or 1 HE or Heavy HE {C}air to ground missile, or 3 light HE bombs
Bonuses - 0
Combat Bonuses/penalties
+10% to piloting rolls (fly by wire)
-2 dodge
Systems of Note
Combat Computer - Calculates, stores and transmits data onto a HUD (heads up display) of the pilot's (or other crew members) helmet. Typically tied into the units targeting computer. Can hold hundreds of entries about various enemies and robots/power armour/aircraft/vehicles.
Ejection System - Ejects crew or crew module out from the robot in emergency circumstances. System typically ejects the occupants about 1000 feet (300m) to parachute safely away.
Complete Environmental Pilot and Crew Compartment - A completely computer controlled life support system that includes: internal cooling and temperature control, air pruification and circulation systems (gas filtration, humidifier/dehumidifier) that engages when needed and can recirculate breathable air for upto 12 hours if neccessary, computer controlled independant oxygen supply and purge system that has upto 4 hours of breathable air that automatically engages in low oxygen or contaminated air environments, insulated high temperature resistant shielding for upto 200 degrees centrigade, and radiation shiedled upto 150 hundred rads.
Standard instrumentation - Speedometer, altimiter, distance travelled, inertial mapping system (zeroed on your deployment location/home base), power system temperature, ammunition counters, damage assessment indicators.
Motion detector/Collision Warning System
Smoke and Chaff/Flare Dispensers - 12 charges of smoke, each create 60ft area of smoke behind the craft. Chaff and flare (12 charges each) give the craft a 75% chance of confusing radar guided (chaff) and heat deeking (flares) causing them to lose lock and miss their target.
Fly by Wire Control systems - If the craft takes more than 50% damage the systmes may fail (30% chance with fly by wire). Lost of the control system gives a penalty to teh pilot of -30% to all piloting rolls to maintain control of the aircraft. While functioning the systems give a bonus (+10% for fly by wire) to all piloting rolls.
Radar - Can identify upto 48 and track upto 18 targets simultaneously to a range of 150 miles (240km)
Radar Warning receiver - Informs the pilot/crew of possible radar lock. Range - 150 miles. (240km)
Targeting Computer - Assists in the tracking and identification of enemy targets to a range of 150 miles (240km)
Computer Targeting System - Assists in selecting and locking on to enemy targets. +1 to strike using ranged weapons. Smart Missiles are excluded from this.
Radio Communications - long-range direction communication systems out to a range of 500 miles (800km) that can be boosted if proper singal towers or relay systems are in place. Also a directional short-range radio with a range of 10 miles (16km) for emergency back-up. Both radios have full encryption capabilities.
Limited Electronic Coutnermeasures Capability - With a Electronic Countermeasures skill roll (or Sensor operations at -20%) the pilot/crew can impose a penalty of -1 to strike and a -10% to all sensor skill rolls of any opponents within radar range depending on terrain.
References Used
Marvel GI Joe Order of Battle
Image GI Joe Battle Files
Wikipedia entry on the A-10 Thunderbolt