Quimera

VL-400 Quimera
The Vila Disparador VL-400 “Quimera” is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet multi-role strike fighter originally developed for the Imperial Lego Air Force to replace the Freelancer fighter/interceptor. Fast, agile and extremely maneuverable, the Quimera was also operated by the Imperial Lego Naval Aviation, usually from the 130 000 tons Imperial Aircraft carriers. The plane is considered today the very first “Strike Fighter” operated by the Lego nation, the project evolving from a high-speed interceptor into a fully multi-role capable (for both ground attack and air-to-air missions) fighter. Featuring the highly advanced R-323 long-range radar, the Quimera was the first plane to employ the Fire-Dragon Air-to-air missile in combat and for many years was also the only fighter capable of firing 4 individual missiles against four different targets at the same time. The Quimera nine weapons stations (including a small internal bomb bay) had a capacity for up to 8500kg of various weapons, including ground attack guided and unguided missiles or bombs, rockets, air-to-air missiles and other stores. Two 30mm ENA-60 auto-cannons are also carried on the sides of the frontal landing gear.

Despite the dimensions and heavy weight of the fighter, the very powerful V-475 jet engine and the variable geometry wings allows it to achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.7, with four Firedragon missiles under the fuselage. To help maintain the control at those very high speeds, two movable fins deploy under the fuselage once the plane retracts his wings. As soon as the Quimera entered service, it started to replace the older but still highly effective “Freelancer” fighter. Pilots found the new aircraft as docile as the previous one, thanks to the new wings and the advanced avionics. Before the Quimera, to perform a certain special role (like Wild Weasel), it was necessary to build a completely new plane for that role or to modify extensively an existing one. The VL-400 was the first multi-role plane, being capable of perform different missions without extensive modifications. On that role, it survived until the VL-27 Flanker fighter appeared.


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Eínon