Banshee

Vectored-thrust ground attack aircraft manufactured by the Kuat Consortium.

The Banshee is built around an enormous turbofan engine that gives tremendous thrust and the engine's distinctive 'scream'that gives the craft its name. The craft flies on thrust alone, rather than aerodynamic lift. The engine gives the Banshee very high speed and acceleration; Kuat markets it as a "lightning bomber" capable of responding to emergencies on the front rapidly. There are a number of instances in the Coalition-Merge War where the timely arrival of a squadron of Banshees prevented disaster.

The Banshee is armed with a "Tiger" 30 mm autocannon, and missile racks which usually carry a mix of anti-armor missiles and HE rockets. Kuat has produced custom runs of Banshees with specific armament in the past to meet the needs of their customers.

The Banshee has vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) capability, and is light enough to take off and land from virtually anywhere. The giant turbofan is a bit of a gas guzzler, though, which limits its flight range; the Banshee usually operates very close to the front.

Because the Banshee relies on ground effect 'push' for lift, it has a somewhat limited flight ceiling; this is a low altitude flyer, which is its principal disadvantage against its main competitor in the close air support market, the various helicopters produced by Aerospace Esper. However, the Banshee has unparalleled agility for "nape of the earth" flying, which allows it to fly under radar and evade ground fire.

The Banshee is often compared with the Grand Army Luftwaffe Spitfire, as they share similar roles and technology. The Spitfire, however, is a significantly larger craft boasting two engines. The Spitfire is also legendarily tough, unlike the fragile Banshee, which relies more on its speed for survival.

The Banshee is one of Kuat's most successful offerings, being widely used throughout the Web.