KF-100 Dralthi

Dralthi
Production
Type	Medium fighter
Model	KF-100
Launched	2520s
Decommissioned	~2654
Specifications
Length	9m
Mass	10t
Weapons	Laser Cannon (2 wing-mounted), missiles (4)
Shield	5/5 phase shield
Hull	4.5/3/3/3.5
Speed	230/400kps
Crew	1 pilot
Usage
Affiliation	Empire of Kilrah
Equipment	Tractor beam (5t), life support (10hrs), targeting systems
Events	Various, including the Terran-Kilrathi War
Appearances

The KF-100 Dralthi is the original variant of the Dralthi. Still useful to the Kilrathi, it was eventually phased out by mid-2654.

History

The original Dralthi entered service between 2521 and 2529, a century before first contact between Kilrathi and Humans, and was the primary starfighter of all Kilrathi clans. KF-100s served with distinction in dozens of inter-clan conflicts as well as in wars against the Wu, Varni and Mantu. These Dralthi continued to serve against the Terran Confederation, playing a role in every major naval engagement for the first twenty years of the War.

It was nearly in the forefront of virtually every naval engagement of the war. During the course of the War Confederation agents managed to capture some Dralthi and study them.

The KF-100s participated in the assault against the Pegasus Station and were seen in the region of Ulysses Corridor as escorts of the Thrakhra-class ConCom and the complement of capital ships near Planet 415.

Specifications

The Dralthi is a lightly armed and armored fighter-ship, its utility relying on its remarkable speed and maneuverability, plus effective group tactics, against superior Confed fighters like the Rapier. These tiny medium fighters lacked the distinctive gull or bat wings of their descendants, featuring pointed, knife-like projections instead.

The ship's limited offensive potential was balanced by its efficient targeting systems, equal to the best available in the Confed. The life support-systems are capable of supporting a Kilrathi for about 10 hours (considering that Kilrathi are better adapted to privation). The impulse engines are based on the same basic concepts of the ramscoop technology used by Terran interplanetary craft. They lack jump capability.

In adition, Dralthi can generate a light tractor beam that can tow 5 tonnes, used primarily for salvage. Dralthis do not have an ejection system as Kilrathi are expected to live or die with their fighters.

Gallery

Top view

Side view

sillouette (Star*Soldier)

Behind the scenes

The KF-100 Dralthi was a variant introduced in the Wing Commander movie and Handbook. It was mentioned and expanded upon in Star*Soldier.

According to the Arena developers:

• "ten complete hull redesigns... KF-100 Dralthi" - I wanted to leave as much room as possible for future retroactive Dralthi and so I've made the KF-100 (movie Dralthi) an older design that just doesn't have a numeral. Furthermore, the 'ten major redesigns' could mean that there are ten or eleven Dralthi at this point.
• "2521" - The date comes from the Terran Confederation Handbook, which says that it was over a century old when first contact took place. I gave it a few more years because I'm tired of introduction dates all ending in '4' (which happens because various ships are said to be X number of decades older than the start of the war or than Wing Commander I).
• "first twenty years of the war" - Although I'm not a huge fan of 'then it just disappeared!', it seemed the most elegant sendoff for some of the movie technology.
• "four times the range... Epsilon Prima" - This has long been my justification for a separate movie Dralthi design. Paladin has a story in Wing Commander I about how intell didn't expect that the *new* Dralthi would have the range to strike Epsilon Prima. So presumably there were OLD Dralthi before the 'Dralthi' in Wing Commander I (which in turn was before the 'Dralthi Mk. II'... and so forth).