Red Kite

Description
Designed by Imstar Aerospace and produced from the factories on Amity and Marik from 3093 onwards, the Red Kite Attack VTOL earned a place in the reconnaissance forces of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth through a combination of an impressive weapons payload and a low noise profile, despite being introduced to service with a very different weapons suite than that originally intended.

Weapons and Equipment
Capable of moving at a maximum speed of 183 kilometers per hour, the Red Kite was noticeably faster than contemporary gunships such as the Yasha or Yellow Jacket, but the Red Kite's weapons suite was effective over a noticeably shorter range despite the impressive damage output. The Red Kite introduced to service mounted 6 Series 2CHM Medium Chemical Lasers, having secured the Clantech weapons during the later stages of the development programme. The lack of recoil associated with the chemical lasers made them seem a more attractive option than the Imperator Napoleon Light AC/5 originally intended for the Red Kite, and four were mounted in the turret originally designed for the Imperator while two others were fixed to the front of the Red Kite.

Unfortunately, the embodiment of the chemical lasers and - more importantly - the loading mechanism for the lasers that drew from the three-ton ammunition bay left the load mechanism liable to jamming if the turret had been rotated more than sixty degrees off center when the loading mechanism engaged.

Despite the problem with the weapon systems, the Red Kite's high speed and the protection offered by three and a half tons of Imstar HL ferro-fibrous armor served to keep the crew safe in many cases.

Variants
No variants of the Red Kite had been introduced to service by 3145.

Design Quirks
The Red Kite was subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Ammo Feed Problem
 * VTOL Rotor Arrangement (Dual Rotor)