HF-66 Thunderbolt VII Heavy Fighter

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The fictional HF-66 Thunderbolt VII heavy fighter was an exceptional heavy fighter used in the computer game, Wing Commander. Its first appearance was in the game, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger.

AbOUT

In the fictional Wing Commander universe, the HF-66A Thunderbolt VII was developed by Douglas Aerospace. The fighter was able to take on large numbers of enemy fighters and even perform light-capital ships strikes.

The Thunderbolt VII mounted dual plasma guns, dual photon cannons, and dual meson guns. This array of energy weapons can devastate almost any Kilrathi fighter within range. In addition, the fighter has two missile bays which can carry three long-range missiles each and a bay for a single torpedo for strikes against capital ships. The heavy fighter carries extremely heavy armor and shields, enabling it to withstand massive damage. For additional defense, Thunderbolts have a mass-driver dual turret mounted to the rear to keep fighters off their tail. The Thunderbolt's main weakness is its relatively poor speed, agility, and acceleration.

The Thunderbolt VII would continue to be in service even after the early 2680s, although the weapon arsenal would be changed. These Thunderbolts would mount four ion guns and two tachyon cannons. In addition, the missile hard points would be changed as well.

Namesake

  • The HF-66 Thunderbolt VII was named from The Famous P-47 Thunderbolt that served the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) during the Second World War and the A-10 Thunderbolt II, which is currently in use by the United States Air Force.