Official Description
As described in a Comm-Link post dated July 2, 2013:
The T8A Gladiator is the UEE Navy’s premiere carrier-based torpedo-plane and space-to-ground dive bomber. Operating with Hornet escort fighters, Gladiators have seen service with great success in battles across known space. Rugged to a fault, the Gladiator is the most capable bomber chassis ever designed. Extremely modular even in the military version, a Gladiator can be outfitted with a variety of bomb loads or as a support craft (trainer, targeting ship, SWACS.)
It is also the latest Anvil Aerospace design to be civilianized, with the private model being advertised for frontier-dwelling outdoorsmen… and the increasing number of private organizations in need of a mid-range bomber spacecraft. Gladiators support a crew of two: a pilot facing forward and a radar officer/turret gunner to his back. In the civilian version, the bomb bay is replaced by a cargo bay; a very simple aftermarket upgrade will reactivate it.[5]
As described when unlocked on Kickstarter Project Update #8, October 26, 2012:
The T3A Gladiator is the UEE Navy's primary carrier-based bomber. Gladiator squadrons are typically divided by specialty: a carrier may have both a Gladiator torpedo squadron and a Gladiator dive bomber squadron. A back seat is occupied by a tail gunner who also acts as radio operator.
Though a heavy-hitting bomber, the Gladiator has proven easy to modify and thus has become commonplace in the civilian market. The bomb bay can easily be converted for light transport. Many pilots choose to replace the rear turret's laser cannon with a tractor beam, making it an ideal craft for light salvage missions.[6]
Stats Update
First Inconsistency
There was a discrepancy between the stats released on November 18, 2012 and the description on October 26, 2012. The original description describes the Gladiator as having up to two turrets, whereas the specs released later[7] indicate only one Class 4 (turret) hardpoint. As stated in the Ships Development Document[8], current specs are subject to change and rebalancing during development. Furthermore, it is as yet not fully determined how upgrading and hardpoints may affect one another (e.g. the Retaliator bomber is described as frequently having its waist turrets replaced with makeshift crew quarters).
Second Inconsistency
As of the July 2, 2013 Comm-Link post, the missing turret is back.
Third Inconsistency
As of December 13, 2014, there are inconsistencies between the brochure, sales page, and specs.
- See also: Template:RSIForumTopic
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 RobertsSpaceIndustries.com
- ↑ RobertsSpaceIndustries.com
- ↑ Template:RSIShipSpecs (with updates as of May 21, 2014)
- ↑ robertsspaceindustries.com "Anvil Gladiator Brochure". Retrieved July 17, 2021. (12.7 MB PDF download)
- ↑ RobertsSpaceIndustries.com
- ↑ Kickstarter update: $5.4 Million – Spaceport Test Footage!
- ↑ RobertsSpaceIndustries.com
- ↑ Star Citizen Ships Development Document (Note: Page is temporarily inaccessible on the RSI website)
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