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[Fighter Blueprint] MEC VF-1 'Simillima' Heavy Fighter

Designed as a heavy interceptor, the VF-1 'Simillima' was the first in what as supposed to be a pair of new fighter designs - one interceptor, one bomber. Tailored to extremely ambitious specifications, the prototype Simillima could mount a bristling array of weapons while still having enough engine power to match maneuvers with other fighters thanks to the VCOIL drive system. However, in the combat testing phase of the project, analysts consistently found that the ship didn't perform as well as expected. Every pilot had a working theory as to what was wrong, ranging from simple bad luck to problems with specific components, but diagnostics kept coming up clean. As one pilot quipped, "It just doesn't feel right."

With the baffled development team unable to isolate the issue, and with pressure for a new interceptor design mounting, an executive decision was made to repurpose the Simillima design into a bomber and begin the design process for a new interceptor. The newly-commissioned VF-3 'Velutina' would assume the interceptor role and the Simillima's chassis would be modified to become the VF-2 'Luctuosa' bomber.

Several of the more stubborn engineers from the original project were granted additional funding and time to continue running tests on the two existing VF-1 prototypes. It took months, but with some luck, the problem was traced back to a single component. When the ship turned just after firing, a software glitch in one of the the heat monitors would draw power away from the thrusters at a critical moment. While this tiny hiccup did not register as anything other than noise in the ship's diagnostic logs, experienced pilots could feel the difference in that critical moment. With the issue fixed, the fighter finally began to perform admirably - so much so that once the 'Velutina' program could spare the personnel, the order was given to bring the 'Simillima' into full production alongside it.

Though not quite as nimble as the 'Velutina,' the 'Simillima' is still a dangerous fighter. It packs strong forward firepower, allowing it to function in a role somewhere between dedicated interceptor and light bomber.

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This ship was the result of me taking a slight break from re-creations to play around with a new style. The 'Simillima' is 200 blocks. The gradient effect on the wings was an unexpected result of using glow blocks for the engines, but I liked it so much that I kept it. This was originally just supposed to be one of a pair of designs with the 'Luctuosa' bomber. I liked how it turned out but it wasn't quite as wasp-like as I was going for, which is why I started on the VF-3. The ship's class is named for Vespa simillima, a species of Japanese hornet that is known for being extremely aggressive.

Screenshots (besides the auto-generated preview image) show fighters at true scale - when you use this blueprint to produce fighters, that's the level of detail you can expect from the final product.

This ship is intended for use as a fighter blueprint, as it lacks the critical ship components necessary for player control.

Suggested weapon: Pulse gun, chaingun, railgun, bolter, cannon