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NNTC "Gremlin" Carrier-Based Micro Fighter

Designed to fill a gap in ultra-compact carrier-based fighter aircraft for multiple customers, the NNTC Gremlin packs almost every bit of standard avionics kit you would expect to see in any of our other jets, into a miniature package suitable for comically undersized stormworks aircraft carriers.

We'll be honest with you. It's not very fast. It doesn't carry much payload. It's a bit tricky to fly at slow speeds. The fuel range... actually ain't that bad.

But firewall the throttle and pull back on the stick, this thing is really fun to fly through valleys and under bridges. And it also has all the missile stuff and compatibility.

The build started with the need for a micro carrier plane built to fit on Whack Al's aircraft carrier, and initial operational capability was achieved after only 48h of crash development. Once the Gremlin was able to fly and think, we began to test the aircraft on a variety of carriers to better understand the operational challenges of naval aviation in stormworks.

During testing, some key strengths of the design were highlighted:
- The short wheelbase of the landing gear made tight steering very easy on small carriers.
- The wings were initially designed to fit within the maximum wingspan of Whack Al's carrier, but were later modified to also fold, which allowed the Gremlin to fit onto even the smallest of aircraft elevators and parking spaces.
- The combination of those two strengths meant that it could turn around inside of below-deck hangars in most carriers without any assistance from a tractor.

With the challenge deadline not rapidly approaching at all, we had a month to keep testing and improving the aircraft to be better and better at carrier operations. Wheel grip was tuned, flight control system optimized, combat trials ran, weapons systems tested in dedicated servers, and much more.

It's certainly not our greatest aircraft. But it's our best that will land easily on a 60m long flight deck.

Not necessary to follow, but this is the ideal method for preventing your gremlin from going swimming.

Catapult takeoff:
- Taxi to catapult
- Enable "Connect Launch Bar"
- Attach nose gear to catapult
- Unfold tail & wingtips
- Close Canopy
- Increase throttle to ~14
- Set takeoff trim (hotkey 2)
- Release brakes switch ON
- Launch catapult
- Flight control system will automatically pitch up and stabilize the aircraft
- Disable "Connect Launch Bar"

Carrier landing:
- Reduce throttle to ~12 for slow flight
- Lower gear
- Lower tailhook
- Release brakes switch OFF
- Ensure "Connect Launch Bar" is disabled
- Align with carrier runway and glideslope
- Reduce throttle to ~9.5 for initial approach (adjust this based on slope, carrier speed, aircraft weight, etc.)
- Align the "fly-on indicator" (circle with two horizontal and one vertical line protruding from it) on the HUD with the carrier deck
- Adjust throttle to tune sink rate
- Land
- Cut throttle with arrow keys
- Raise tailhook
- Increase throttle to ~3 for taxi
- Release brakes switch ON

Taxi & parking notes:
- Setting the parking brake and lowering the tailhook is the best way other than ropes to park the gremlin.
- The down arrow key applies antilock wheel brakes when held, useful for taxiing.
- The nosewheel steering is quite powerful, and the jet can just about turn around in its own shadow.
- Rope nodes can be found next to each landing gear, and at the outer wing hinges.
- The refueling node is next to the centerline pylon.
- The ground power hookup is forward of the nose gear.


Armament:
2x AIM-9M - Short range AAM, smokeless, maneuverable.
2X AGM-12B - 3.2km range AGM, chaff resistant, fast.
1x SUU-25 - Illumination flare pod, 7x flares for increasing the brightness of night battles.




Mostly based on a 1:1.2 (???) scale A4 Skyhawk, with the wings inspired by the F4.