- "That beast rains missiles. That's some serious shit."
- ― Clown
The Arsenal Bird[1][2] is a class of aerial warship that can carry up to 80 MQ-101 UAVs. Multiple Arsenal Birds were developed by the Osean Federation to defend the International Space Elevator.[3][4]
Design
The Arsenal Birds are massive, supposedly unmanned aircraft with the capability to carry up to 80 MQ-101s at one time. When these drones are launched, they are dropped from their holds in the aircraft's wings, flipping over and extending their wings to take flight. Arsenal Birds also launch numerous Air-to-Air Missiles against any hostile aircraft that is within close range. Instead of jet engines, Arsenal Birds utilize large contra-rotating propellers for thrust, which can provide long endurance.[5]
History
The Arsenal Birds were developed sometime in the 2010s by the Osean Army to defend and support the International Space Elevator.[3][4] Two aircraft are known to have been deployed, Liberty and Justice, with the former being a prototype and the latter being a production variant.[6]
During the Lighthouse War, following Erusea's capture of the space elevator, the Arsenal Birds fell under their control as well. The Arsenal Bird Liberty was directly used against Osean forces over the Chopinburg Rainforest early in the conflict.[7]
Gallery
The Arsenal Bird as seen from a T-50 PAK-FA's cockpit
The Arsenal Bird as seen from a T-50 PAK-FA's cockpit
An F-16C underneath an Arsenal Bird
An F-22A facing an Arsenal Bird in the distance
An Arsenal Bird deploying its MQ-101s
Aerial shot of an Arsenal Bird
Aerial shot of an Arsenal Bird over a Ulysses 1994XF04 crater
An Arsenal Bird and an Osean F-22A near the International Space Elevator
A map showing the patrol area of the Arsenal Birds (Partrol area is within red circle. ISEV located in the center)
The Arsenal Bird over Chopinburg Rainforest
An F/A-18F Super Hornet with an Arsenal Bird
Trivia
- The Arsenal Birds were referred to as "FAS" in 2015 promotions for Ace Combat 7.[8][4]
- An Osean pilot used the nickname "Big Baby Huey" to refer to an Arsenal Bird.
- The Arsenal Birds resemble the Northrop YB-35 with its flying-wing design and rear-facing contra-rotating propellers.
- The Arsenal Birds also resemble other fictional aircraft that were based on the YB-35's design, including the airships from Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle and the Rostock heavy bomber from The Sky Crawlers (the latter of which had a prequel game developed in part by Project Aces).
- The functionality of the Arsenal Bird has changed over the course of development. A projected 'ring' has been added to the Liberty Arsenal Bird, the purpose of which is currently unknown.
References
- ↑ File:Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown - New Years Showcase Trailer.
- ↑ File:Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown - E3 2017 Trailer.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown - E3 2017 Demo Gameplay.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 『エースコンバット7』開発陣インタビュー完全版！ 「3つの軸を追求します」. Famitsu. Published December 17, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ↑ File:Ace Combat 7 - Announcement Trailer.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Two-pronged strategy, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ PS4 Exclusive Ace Combat 7 Gets First Awesome 4K Screenshots and Information. DualShockers. Published December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015. The file featuring the FAS has "FAS" in its filename. The "01" is used by other images in the same article, which means there is no secondary "-01" designation.