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Thunderhog Mk.IIIa (L-01-02C-V)

When the Larson Engineering Thunderhog Mk.I (L-01-01A-V) was first announced it apppeared, on paper at least, to be a solid hoverjet capable of carrying itself over the surface of any atmospheric planet to deliver a deadly strike.

The reality however was somewhat different. A poorly designed conveyor network resulted in the air intakes not pumping air to the space-grade sealed cockpit. The four huge jet engines providing lift for the Thunderhog were great for throwing it into the air, but when used in conjunction with any of the other jets resulted in a reactor overload that severely hampered the jet's handling. And due to the poor memory of one of the design engineers, the access hatch for the jet's cargo hold was covered in manufacturing, making resupplying very difficult.

All in all the Mk.I Thunderhog was an impressive looking failure and Larson Engineering took the entire platform back to the drawing board, unwilling to give up on the name.

The Thunderhog Mk.II never saw outside production but improved vastly on the original, even though it didn't fix everything and introduced some new issues.

The Mk.II saw a large change to the structure, reinforcing the forward thrusters and dropping a large lifting thruster on each side. The whole jet was a lot thinner as a result, losing its rocket launchers and gaining an additional gatling gun. It was better although the new air intakes often didn't pull enough air into the cockpit and the cargo system was still covered. After a lot of consideration the Mk.II was scrapped and work began on the Mk.III

The Thunderhog Mk.III is a completely different beast. The conveyor system is properly fitted, the wings widened to allow strong intakes, two rocket launchers, two gatling guns, and added extra reverse thrusters. The cargo system now has access through a port in the tail of the aircraft, and the new thruster layout is far easier on the reactor.

In addition, the Mk.III has a spotlight for SAR and night-flying, and also includes an antenna for scouting, relaying information, and showing its position. This vital piece of kit was one of the main reasons Larson Engineering deemed the earlier versions of the jet unsuitable.

The Thunderhog Mk.IIIa features a number of thrusters orientated as downward thrusters, allowing the jet to better maintain inverted flight.