Bengal class strike carrier
Bengal strike carriers proved pivotal to the survival of the Terran Confederation in its defensive struggle against the Kilrathi empire, —during much of which it faced Kilrathi superiority in numbers and production. Comparatively fast, heavily armed (as the strike-carrier classification implies), and well stocked with a fighter complement of 104, even a force consisting of single Bengal strike carrier was a strategic presence to be reckoned with.
Unlike some older carriers in the Confed fleet, Bengals were designed around a launch tube system. These tubes (at least nine of them, but probably ten or twelve) featured independent pressurization/de-pressurization, blast doors to the outside and a linear acceleration catapult; making the Bengal strike carrier almost immune to possible compromising of its launch capabilities by damage to (more commonly used) shared launch bays. At least half of these launch tubes were located underneath the Bengal's small “wings” on eather side at the mid-section, but possibly some of them were located in the larger “wings” at the rear of the carrier. The launch tubes eliminated the need for a traditional “flight deck” through the middle of the carrier, but did not double as landing bays: pilots would land their fighters from a forward approach vector, directly onto a single landing bay extending underneath the control tower, from where fighters could then be internally routed to repairs bay, storage, or prepped for their next mission and moved to the launch tubes again. The shared landing bay, however, could be used as a more traditional launch bay, if necessary.
The first of the Bengals, the TCS Tiger's Claw, was the only carrier of its class to measure at 700 meters in length —subsequent ships were shortened to 690 meters.
See also Wikipedia's Bengal strike carrier page.
| Designation | CVS | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Strike Carrier | |
| Length | 690 meters | |
| Mass | 80,000 tonnes | |
| Max. Velocity | 130 kps | |
| Cruise Velocity | 100 kps | |
| Acceleration | Poor | |
| Max. YPR | 1 dps | |
| Weaps | Turreted Lasers | 8 |
| Chaff Pod | 1 | |
| Missile | (3×2) | 2 DF/2 DF/2 HS |
| Fore and Aft Shields | 21 cm equiv. each | |
| Armor: | Front and Rear | 24/20 cm each |
| Right and Left | 25 cm each | |
Reference Images
(WC1) Exterior (TCS Tiger's Claw)
(See Copyright Notice.)
(WC1) Interior (TCS Tiger's Claw)
(See Copyright Notice.)
(Academy's TCS Tiger's Claw)
(See Copyright Notice.)
 bengal_ac.jpg |
(Armada's TCS Tiger's Claw)
Fan Models
WCU old WIP (by chuck_starchaser)
(This model will be redone from scratch when the time comes.)
Maj. Striker
Meshes
From the WCU Shippack
Please read these notes on WCU Shippack meshes, first.
