Overview[]
The Consortium's C-3800 Command Aircraft are large airliner-like aircraft built by Global Industries and Worldview Industries at a staggering unit price of $620,000,000 EUD. They are bar-none the strongest individual combat aircraft currently flying in the Consortium Dimension. They feature "Fusion-based primary engines with a self sustaining energy collection system, Strommon-made automated defenses including state of the art stealth technology manufactured by Paragon Industries."[1]
The initial C-3800-A 'Stormbird' and C-3800-B 'Aether' were virtually identical. They had limited facilities, no Virtual Trainer, Cargo Containment Unit, or Mission Pod hangar. The C-3800-C was the first to include the Virtual Trainer console.[1]
Starting with the C-3800-D, a Cargo Containment Unit was included. This technology freed space to allow two Consortium Mission Pods to be housed within the hangar bay in lieu of storage for operations outside of the C-3800's standard scope.[1] Based on the presence of Mission Pods aboard Stormbird in the Sanctum Station Incident, it is suggested that upgrades to the C-3800s following Stormbird and Aether have since been backdated to the preceding models during their airframe repairs.
They usually have "up to 20 officers on board."[2] Conjecture would suggest that 21 is a standard complement, as this number reappears regularly in the Consortium Dimension's lore.
The Consortium's C-3800s do not perform well in zero-gravity, as they lack maneuverability.[3] Like other aircraft in the Consortium Dimension wishing to enter orbit, the C-3800 must dock with a TOOL system, of which the Consortium has several, to provide full space-rated capabilities.
Each C-3800 is responsible for policing a "grid,"[4][5] a rotating series of country/geographic arrangements. Developer statements suggest that they are not permanent assignments. As of December 21st, 2042, Zenlil is assigned to Europe, Stormbird is assigned to Africa, Aether is assigned to Asia, Tiamat to North America, and Hesperus to South America.
C-3800s, contrary to popular belief, do not fly 24/7. They land regularly between patrols at a series of Consortium bases, with extended multi-day missions being relatively rare.
The Consortium's five current C-3800s are as follows:
Ship's Layout and Equipment[]
The C-3800 is a three-deck aircraft which can be loosely arranged into four major sections: Avionics, Work Space, Living Space, and Engineering.
The forward hull, Avionics, consists of Lower Avionics, the Cockpit, and Upper Avionics stacked atop one another. It has accessways to each level via the cockpit's hatches and extendable ladders, and connects directly to all levels of the Working Spaces.
The mid-forward hull, Work Space, includes Mission Operations, Global Operations, and the Medbay. The Knight's command chair is capable of telescoping from Mission Operations to Global Operations as appropriate. Mission Operations is locked down during Emergency Protocol 3, securing it from intrusion during combat.
The mid-aft hull, or Living Space, includes the Crew Lounge, Officers' Quarters, Virtual Trainer, Pawns' Barracks, Kitchenette, Bathroom, and Brig. It is split heavily among the three decks, and can be traversed between using the mid-aft elevator. Not specifically utilized for missions excepting perhaps the Brig, this is where the Bishop spends the majority of his time off-mission in the Virtual Trainer or Bishop's Quarters. During Emergency Protocol X-0-3 the Pawn crew are locked down in the Pawns' Barracks until landing.
The Aft Hull, also known as Engineering, consists of the Hangar Bay, Battery Crawl, and Cargo Containment Unit. Primarily a singular space, the Aft Hull is control for the ship's engines, fusion batteries, and storage bay for the Mission Pods. As the site of the CCU and rear ramp, this is the primary entry-exit point for all away missions from the C-3800. Via a bottom-level doors and cranes, the ship's Mission Pods can be deployed and recovered mid-flight.
An additional space, the Upper Crawl, connects the Avionics section with the upper Living Space and Engineering. It contains additional circuitry that helps work the ship.
All across the ship in multiple sections are energy piping systems and missile control arrays for the C-3800's top and lateral EMP-Tipped missile launchers, as well as cabling to power the ship's multiple all-axis point defense laser arrays.