F-1 Bosco

F-1 Bosco
An Earth Army F-1/G of No. 1 Army Aviation (Fighter) Squadron in flight over Fort Kyoshi
Role	Multirole fighter, interceptor and tactical bomber
National origin	Earth Kingdom
Manufacturer	Royal Ba Sing Se Foundry Works
First flight	26 January 2021
Introduction	13 February 2021
Status	In service
Primary user	Earth Army Earth Navy
Produced	2021–present
Number built	24 (1 test and 23 operational aircraft) as of 9 April 2022
Developed into	B-10 Turtle

The Royal Foundry F-1 Bosco is a carrier-capable multirole combat aircraft developed for the Army and Navy of the Earth Kingdom. Arising out of the procurement process for the ENS Kyoshi aircraft carrier, the aircraft was originally conceived as a carrier-borne strike fighter capable of striking naval and land targets and projecting power beyond the shores of the Earth Kingdom.

The F-1 Bosco is the first armed airskiff in the world, and remains one of the most heavily armed models of airskiff in existence with anti-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship capabilities. Six F-1 Boscos, designed as the F-1/N Naval Interdictor, initially entered service with the Earth Navy for carrier operations. They were later rebuilt to a new specification, F-1/NG, incorporating lessons from combat operations against the Acacian League. A seventh F-1/NG was acquired by the Navy, along with six land-based variants, designated as the F-1/G Multirole Fighter, by the Army for a total of 22 active F-1s of all models.

F-1 Boscos have served with the military forces of the Earth Kingdom in all of the nation's military operations, including the Unification of the Earth Kingdom, the Mexican War, and the border patrols instituted for the Frisian Civil War and Frisian War.

Design

As an airskiff, the F-1 Bosco is a small and agile aircraft capable of accelerating to speeds in excess of 7 blocks per second. It is wedge-shaped for aerodynamic purposes, with the powerful engines situated in the back of the aircraft. The aircraft is fully covered to protect the pilot from attacks and the elements, and further boasts large, panoramic windows to give the pilot a sweeping view of the sky in front and ground below. The F-1 is painted green to symbolize the Earth Kingdom and for identification friend or foe purposes, while the wings and tailfin are painted in different colours to identify the squadron to which every aircraft belongs.

The aircraft is heavily armed, with the ability to launch torpedoes, fire charges and gravity bombs against targets on land, in the sky and at sea.

Operational history

Three F-1/Ns operating from ENS Kyoshi struck an Acacian League strongpoint on the Gaoling–Omashu road in support of a cavalry assault on 4 July 2021 during the Unification of the Earth Kingdom. One F-1/N was damaged in a landing accident upon its return to the Kyoshi but was repaired and brought back into service.

After the defeat of the Acacian League forces in the Earth Kingdom, three F-1/Ns operating from ENS Kyoshi struck an Acacian resistance outpost in the wilds to the northwest of Omashu on 23 July 2021 and destroyed the fortification.

During the Mexican War, six F-1/NGs onboard ENS Kyoshi were deployed to Freeport in support of coalition military operations against Mexico. Three F-1/NGs successfully struck the Mexican fortress in Freeport Bay, paving the way for an amphibious landing by Earth Kingdom and Free Territory forces that captured the island. One F-1/NG was shot down by ground-based air defences during the raid.

F-1/NGs and F-1/Gs have been deployed at various times in 2021 and 2022 off of Fryslân in response to tensions in relation to the Frisian Civil War and Frisian War.

Variants

• The XF-1 is the original prototype for the F-1 family of airskiffs. Only a single XF-1 was ever built, and it was tested in the mountains to the north of the Air Nation to demonstrate the military potential of airskiff technology. The lone specimen was dismantled shortly after the completion of the tests to maintain the secrecy of the project.
• The F-1/N ("Naval") Bosco Naval Interdictor is the original variant of the F-1 to enter service with the Earth Navy. F-1/Ns are distinguished by their compact shape to fit onto an aircraft carrier deck, their long tail fins, and their lack of a bomb targeting window. Six F-1/Ns were built, but all six were rebuilt to F-1/NG specifications. No F-1/Ns remain in existence.
• The F-1/NG ("Next Generation") Bosco Naval Interdictor was introduced on 23 July 2021 as an evolution of the F-1/N design. Like the F-1/N, the F-1/NG is compact in order to operate from warship decks. However, it was redesigned with a shorter tail fin, simplified controls, and a targeting window to improve bombing precision. Eight F-1/NGs were built, of which one was destroyed and seven remain in service with the Earth Navy.
• The F-1/G ("Ground") Bosco Multirole Fighter was introduced in August 2021 as a land-based conversion of the F-1/NG design for the Earth Army to ensure airspace security over the Earth Kingdom. The F-1/G has a larger wingspan, a different hardpoint layout and a longer tailfin compared to the F-1/NG. Six F-1/Gs were built, and all were later rebuilt to the F-1/C specification. No F-1/Gs remain in existence.
• The F-1/C ("Compact" or "Combined") Bosco Strike Fighter was introduced in July 2022 as a reconfigured variant designed for service onboard the new aircraft carrier ENS Yuan Wong, whose slender profile results in stringent size restrictions. The F-1/C also features a reconfigured torpedo fire control system and improved cockpit security. Nine new F-1/Cs were built and all remain in operation onboard Yuan Wong, later joined by six further aircraft converted from former Earth Army F-1/Gs when the Army adopted the F-1/C, formally harmonizing the variants used by the two service branches.

B-10 Turtle tactical bomber

Main article: B-10 Turtle

The Royal Foundry B-10 Turtle is a tactical bomber aircraft operated by the Earth Army which was introduced on 28 March 2022. Based on a heavily modified F-1/G airframe, the aircraft was redesigned to reduce the amount of vulnerable areas exposed to gunfire and and to replace anti-air armaments with more potent anti-ground precision bombing capabilities. The B-10 boasts a thick layer of armour to enable low-level operations and precision bombing against ground targets, though it is a less capable dogfighter than the F-1. Ten B-10s have been built as of 9 April 2022, with nine B-10/As accepted into front-line service with the Earth Army and Navy and the prototype converted into a unique B-10/I ("Instructor") trainer aircraft.

Operators

• Earth Army (6 F-1/C strike fighters)
  • No. 1 Army Aviation (Fighter) Squadron (3x F-1/C)
  • No. 2 Army Aviation (Fighter) Squadron (3x F-1/C)
• Earth Navy (9 F-1/C strike fighters, 7 F-1/NG naval interdictors)
  • No. 1 Naval (Fighter) Air Squadron, ENS Kyoshi (3x F-1/NG)
  • No. 2 Naval (Fighter) Air Squadron, ENS Kyoshi (3x F-1/NGs
  • No. 4 Naval (Fighter) Air Squadron, ENS Yuan Wong (3x F-1/C)
  • No. 5 Naval (Fighter) Air Squadron, ENS Yuan Wong (3x F-1/C)
  • No. 6 Naval (Fighter) Air Squadron, ENS Yuan Wong (3x F-1/C)
  • Northern Fleet Air Command, ENS Freeport Bay (1x F-1/NG)

Former operators

• Earth Navy
  • 6 F-1/G multirole fighters

• Earth Navy
  • 6 F-1/N naval interdictors

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7 (F-1/G, F-1/C), 8 (F-1/NG)
• Wingspan: 7 (F-1/NG, F-1/C), 9 (F-1/G)
• Height: 4 (F-1/NG, F-1/C), 6 (F-1/G)
• Wing area: 14 blocks
• Gross weight: 80 blocks
• Fuel capacity: 64 coal or 64 coal blocks
• Powerplant: 7 redstone engines

Performance

• Maximum speed: 7.25 blocks/second
• Range: 5,760 blocks
• Service ceiling: 46 blocks above ground

Armament

• Guns: 1x heavy anti-aircraft repeater cannon (576 rounds, 240 rpm)
• Hardpoint: 2x remote-controlled torpedo pylons, 1x bomb bay (576 bombs)

See also

• Airskiff
• B-10 Turtle

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Water Tribe fighter of unknown model
• Free Territory fighter of unknown model
• Frisian fighter of unknown model