UPDATE:
I replaced the guns to provide the impression that this is an older generation fighter. I also moved the front landing gear back a little bit.

HISTORY:
Named after Xena's crowned princess, the SF-4 Zula was the second in the line of new concept prototypes being developed by the Xenan State Aerospace Administration. The SF-4 was based off of the SF-3 but with further changes made to the wings and even a new pair of canards. These new changes made the SF-4 less stable than the SF-3 and possibly less maneuverable as well. The SF-4, however, was much more simple to mass produce than the SF-3 and it still out-performed all other space craft being built by the ISC's enemies. Therefore, the fighter was still approved for production and distribution by the Xenan royal family. The SF-4 recently saw service during Operation Desert Dragon, a military police act conducted on Planet Azek to scope out then eliminate their pirate force. The Azekian pirate force has been responsible for many crimes including the interception of interstellar merchant ships and detaining of hostages. Operation Desert Dragon called for three SF-4s to deliver an airstrike on the pirate's main hideout. Unfortunately, one SF-4 was shot-down during the operation and most of the remains were collected by the Azekian pirates. Using the stolen remains of the wrecked fighter, the Azekians managed to duplicate their own version of the SF-4 and incorporate it into their pirate force. This only lead to increased pirate activity. To makes matters worse, the Azekains also struck a deal with Echelon to sell them a copy of the preliminary blueprints for the duplicate SF-4. Echelon then started producing their own duplicates of the SF-4. As a result, many bootlegged copies of the SF-4 are in circulation across the galaxy. The SF-4 is now shamefully known as the first ever Xenan star fighter to fall into enemy hands.

ARMAMENT:
14x short ranged unguided air-to-ground rockets
4x medium ranged radar guided fire-and-forget air-to-ground inferno missiles
2x medium ranged radar guided air-to-air guardian missiles
2x long ranged radar guided fire-and-forget air-to-air interceptor missiles
Dual 50 cal. KVA-2 MKI machine guns

OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE:
Action group 1 engages the main thrust engines.

Action group 2 engages the gyroscope.

Action group 3 engages the VTOL engine.

Action group 4 engages the VTOL RCNs.

Action group 5 illuminates the exterior lights.

Action group 6 jettisons all munitions.

Action group 7 deploys the arrest hook.

Action group 8 primes all munitions.

Do not pitch down too hard and too fast while launching any missiles or rockets, otherwise they might collide with the craft mid-flight and destroy it.

To use the VTOL, first engage action groups 2, 3, and 4. Next, throttle up until the craft starts levitating upward. Once a suitable altitude has been reached, rotate the VTOL nozzles backward (VTOL slider up) to push the craft forward. Then drop the throttle all the way down, deactivate action groups 2, 3, and 4, and activate action group 1. This step must be done relatively quick. While action group 1 is engaged, throttle back up again to start flying forward.

The RCNs (AG4) can be activated at any time, they can help maneuver the craft even when not in VTOL mode. This would be useful while flying in regions with low air density.