F-302

The F-302 Fighter is a Starfighter that features in Stargate SG-1.

Overview

Like its counterpart, the Goa'uld Death Glider, the F-302 is an unshielded, two-seat multi-role craft. Since Earth's technology is still less advanced than that of the Goa'uld, the F-302 is slower and less maneuverable than a glider, even though (or perhaps because) it possesses three different sets of sublight engines. However, one F-302 was still able to evade and defeat several squadrons of gliders.<ref>GateWorld Omnipedia (F-302)</ref> It is also larger than a Glider, and seems to have better armor since there are examples of the fighter taking direct hits from Death Glider energy cannons and still being able to fly and fight. Some development work on the F-302 was shifted to the private sector such as the multi engine control systems, which were designed by Colson Aviation.<ref name="Covenant">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref> The X-302 prototype also possessed a fourth engine, a hyperspace window generator (or more colloquially, a hyperdrive), which was the smallest of its kind due to its use of naqahdriah instead of the more-stable but less-powerful naqahdah. Unfortunately, the 302's hyperdrive engine currently does not work as intended, due to instability caused by the naqahdriah. The hyperdrive is only capable of short range tactical jumps.<ref name="Fallen">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref> Production models are known to still be equipped with hyperdrives. Furthermore, its inertial damper is only ninety percent effective when pulling negative G's.<ref name="Fragile Balance">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref> Also, the F-302's have a magnetic clamping landing gear system which allows them to clamp onto the hulls of ships.<ref name="No Man's Land">Template:Cite episode</ref>

Since Earth's efforts to create a directed energy weapon have so far proven unsuccessful, the F-302 was originally armed solely with a payload of modified air-to-air missiles. These modified AIM-120 AMRAAMs have a warhead enhanced with naqahdah and a shield modulator, which in theory allows the missile to bypass shields.<ref name="Ethon">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref> The shield modulator proved ineffective against the Ori shields on the satellite weapon in the episode "Ethon". F-302s are also apparently armed with a pair of projectile cannons (though of an unspecified caliber and type), seen in the Stargate Atlantis Season Two episode "The Intruder".

The F-302's first combat mission took place in the Stargate SG-1 episode Template:Sgcite, when it was flown by Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter in a strike against Anubis mothership. In the episode Template:Sgcite, several squadrons of F-302s commanded by Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell escorted the Prometheus to Antarctica, where they defended the cargo ship piloted by SG-1 against an attack wave of Al'kesh and Gliders.

It was discovered in "Ethon" that when an F-302 explodes, it causes an electromagnetic pulse created from the concussive force interfering artificial gravity created by its inertial dampers.

Call signs

• The F-302's have had various call signs including: -
  • "Airstrike"<ref name="Fallen">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref>
  • "Flight"<ref name="Covenant"/>
  • "Blue leader"<ref name="Avalon">Template:Cite episode | Transcript Part 1, Transcript Part 2</ref>
  • "Delta 1-4"<ref name="Allies">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref>
  • "Dagger 1-2"<ref name="No Man's Land"/>

• The 1st SFW "Snakeskinners" is a wing of F-302s in the Milky Way, possibly dedicated to Earth defense. "SFW" likely stands for either "Strategic Fighter Wing" or "Space Fighter Wing".<ref name="fragile balance">Template:Cite episode</ref>

• The 1st TFW "Wraithwaxers" is a wing which operates the Daedalus and her F-302s.<ref name="The Siege 3">Template:Cite episode</ref> "TFW" likely stands for "Tactical Fighter Wing", a term formerly used by the U.S. Air Force.

• The 2nd TW is a wing which operates the Apollo and her F-302s. "TW" stands for "Tactical Wing."<ref name="jmblog2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Variations

X-302

The X-302 Experimental Fighter was the prototype of the F-302. It resembled the X-301, but was built entirely from Earth-constructed components, using reverse-engineered knowledge of alien technology.<ref>GateWorld Omnipedia (X-302)</ref>

First seen in Template:Sgcite, the X-302 has four sets of engines: two traditional jet engines, two aerospike engines, one rocket motor, and a naqahdriah-based hyperspace window generator. Its conventional engines are assisted by an inertial damping system that allows the craft to achieve orbit. The first prototype was used to save the Earth from Anubis's plot to detonate the Earth Stargate with an Ancient weapon system.<ref name="Redemption">Template:Cite episode | Transcript Part 1, Transcript Part 2</ref> Although it was lost in the process and its hyperdrive turned out to be too unstable to use safely, the X-302 was considered a success and went into production as the F-302.

• During O'Neill's and Sam's test flight to Abydos, it was given the callsign "Abydos One."<ref name="Redemption"/>
• During O'Neill's flight out of the Earth's atmosphere with the Stargate, it was given the callsign "Starflight".<ref name="Redemption"/>

X-301

The X-301 Experimental Fighter visually resembles a Goa'uld Death Glider.

Only seen in the episode "Tangent", the X-301 was Earth's first attempt to reverse engineer Goa'uld technology. The initial design of the craft used some components directly from two Death Gliders which almost proved fatal to its passengers when a preprogrammed booby trap sent the craft into outer space during a test flight.<ref name="Tangent">Template:Cite episode | Transcript</ref> It did, however, pave the way for the development of the X-302 and X-303.

Unlike the later X-302, the X-301 was little more than a captured Goa'uld Death Glider that had been retrofitted to accommodate human technology. Earth engineers were unable to understand many of its systems (particularly the energy weapons), forcing them to remove or replace whatever they could not make functional. As such, the X-301 was equipped with a pair of naqahdah-enhanced AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles modified with shield frequency modulators, which Major Carter believed could take out a Goa'uld mothership. Unfortunately, the technicians analyzing the Death Glider failed to discover a hidden 'recall device' which the System Lord Apophis had installed in his Death Gliders following Teal'c's betrayal.<ref name="Tangent"/> After Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c were rescued from the runaway craft during its first test flight, further work on the X-301 prototype was abandoned in favor of the X-302. The fate of the X-301 craft is unknown.

Appearances

• Stargate: SG-1: