Kanazawa Ka-45 Mesu

Characteristics
Descended from the lineage of twin ion engine aerospacecraft starting from the venerable Ka-99, the Ka-90 is Kanazawa-Ono's first foray into an atmosphere-capable fighter design. The typical Kanazawa-Ono solar collector panels and semi-spherical cockpit are present in the design, though the solar collector panels double as lifting wings on the Ka-90. This technology was already tested on the atmosphere-capable Karito-class shuttle that the company introduced in 285, though the Karito-class shuttle also relied on vectoring thrusters for flight. The Ka-90 does have vectoring thrusters and VTOL capability, but handles like a more traditional aircraft while within the atmosphere. Also fully capable of spaceflight, the Ka-90 can launch from orbiting carriers but nonetheless lacks the characteristic maneuverability of Kanazawa fighters while in space, and is fully intended for in-atmosphere operations.

The primary weapon of the Ka-90 is an unprecedentedly powerful weapon; the Mitsuhishi-developed Type-90 "Mesu" Air-to-Ground Variant Composite Beam Laser. This is the smallest composite beam laser yet developed by the Empire, and the first to be fitted on an air-to-ground attack aerospacecraft, giving the Ka-90 a powerful and extremely accurate anti-ground attack. Besides the beam laser, the Ka-90 is also equipped with two 20 mm cannons capable of firing high-explosive and armour-piercing rounds, as well as a 10-slot internal bomb bay capable of carrying a myriad of payloads, from bunker buster penetrators to propaganda leaflets.

Rumours exist that the Type-90 "Mesu" weapon was developed through reverse-engineering of the wreckage of a Hierarchy Nu-11 Lo-Shżuro from the Empire-Hierarchy War of 277, though the veracity of these claims is still unknown.

General characteristics

 * Crew: 1
 * Length: 17.18 m
 * Wingspan: 11.3 m
 * Height: 2.95 m
 * Powerplant: 2 × Niinuma Dynamics Kiso-4-12 ion engines

Armament

 * Guns:
 * 1 × Mitsuhishi Weapons Systems Type-90 "Mesu" Air-to-Ground Variant Composite Beam Laser
 * 2 × 20mm Arisaka Type-67-2 automatic cannon
 * Hardpoints:
 * 10-slot internal bomb bay