An experimental airplane designed to explore high speed and high altitude flight, and to provide a test bed for the development of future weapons and equipment.

Credits:
The PHOENIX Mark II Experimental Scramjet is loosely based on the KRAKEN Maritime Patrol Craft, mainly because of that plane's stability and size. As usual, the modifications used on this aircraft are all the products of you good folk here on SimplePlanes--my system won't let me do mods, and I wouldn't know how even if I could--so to all of you out there: Thank You!. I would specifically like to thank CYBERBEAST for creating the marvelous laser weapon/special effect that has become the Sunburst ionizing particle beam generator and dfsjoe for the weightless mega-fuel tank that I have reinterpreted as the Umbra Reactor, along with many others whose names are not known to me, but whose talents are greatly appreciated.

Background Story:
During the fifth cycle of the XIX Dynasty the High Command concluded that they needed to raise their investment in Research and Development. To this end they ordered the Archon Chancellery to develop a medium to large sized airplane to be used as a dedicated R & D Test Bed. The requirements for this plane included stability, the size and ability to incorporated multiple drive systems, and extended loiter time. The Chancellery responded to this challenge by redesigning the flying wing concept that they had used in the KRAKEN Maritime Patrol Craft, as this plane already incorporated a naturally reliable, stable design with significant onboard space. The Chancellery powered this new research plane, dubbed the PHOENIX, with the UMBRA dark energy reactor, giving it virtually unlimited range. They channeled this power through their CONSTELLATION energy management core into one (or more) of four separate propulsive systems. The first group is a set of seven GRAVITON VTOL motors mounted on a gimbaled array. The second set consists of four standard ARCHON main jet engines. The third is a pair of BIFROST ScramJets with thrust vectoring rings together with an aft mounted QUANTUM DRIVE pulse-thruster array. The fourth and final propulsion system uses a pair of PEGASUS air-to-space SABRE engines (SABRE is an acronym for Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine). As a research aircraft the PHOENIX has no weapons per se, although the plane has been equipped with a powerful SUNBURST ionizing particle beam generator designed to clear microscopic debris from the plane's path when operating at extreme speeds and environments. It should be noted that this device could be used as a weapon in a pinch if necessary.

The usual flight profile for the PHOENIX would involve a short take-off run using only the Graviton Motors (Group 1) in the neutral 45 degree angle. Use full power. At about Mach 1 (approximately 700 MPH) activate the Main Archon Engines (Group 2) and continue to Mach 2 and an altitude of 10,000 feet. At that point you may start the Bifrost Scramjet Engines (Group 3), rotate the Graviton Motors into an in-line position (Group 5, Trim down), and activate the variable wing geometry (Group 6) to increase lift and stability. After reaching Mach 5 and exceeding 50,000 feet you may engage the Pegasus SABRE engines. In testing with the Chancellery, the PHOENIX has demonstrated speeds in excess of Mach 12 (8400 MPH) and altitudes above 300,000 feet (though not together).

Activation Groups:
1 - Engages the GRAVITON VTOL motors (VTOL up).
2 - Engages the four ARCHON main jet engines (thrust actuated).
3 - Engages the two wing mounted BIFROST Scramjet Engines (throttle) along with their thrust vectoring rings and the QUANTUM DRIVE pulse-thrusters (VTOL up).
4 - Engages the twin PEGASUS Air-to-Space SABRE Engines (throttle).
5 - Activates or locks into place the GRAVITON gimbal arrays (Trim up or down).
6 - Activates Variable Wing Geometry, deploying forward canards (Throttle up) and altering wingtip dihedral (Trim up or down).
7 - Activates the nose mounted SUNBURST ionizing particle beam generator.
8 - disconnects the main UMBRA integrated power reactor, deactivating all active sensors (shown by extinguishing the various engine and running lights), cutting off the plane's back-up stabilization gyro.