the UIT/TPG nation needs a ship to be proud of besides the hog TD. Cooked up mad scientist the Buzzard is the protector of free trade. But those greedy capitalists couldn't keep the ship just for themselves so the nighthawk is available at various other stations.

Armor 9600 (puts this more inline with a maud while still having less armor)
cargo 6 (2cu less due to engine modifications)
mass 4000 (100 more then regular raptors)
Thrust 240 ( backdoor dealings with the itanis gave TPG access to valk engine plans.)
Spin torque 12 (After reading Ish's math on the spin torque problem I decided to up it to 12 this is faster but it will still turn slower then a vulture and handle more like a lighter maud)
speed 70m/s (puts those engines to good use)
max turbo speed 215 / drain 50 (keeping with the tpg tradition of offering infiboost ships that do not go overly fast)
weapons 3 small (due to the size of the raptor 3 weapons are needed to keep smaller ships at bay like a maud and a valk. Also no radar extender)

This ship is designed to escort convoys or alternatively blow them up it should not be overly dominant in pvp due to its profile and armor. but should pose a threat in the hands of a skilled pilot.

Edit: upped thrust by 5 to 240. upped armor to 9600 after looking over the wiki at various marauders, note it still has 400 less points then the weakest maud not counting the tungmaud. Spin torque adjusted

***can a forum mod please change the title of this to TPG Buzzard ***

I'm surprised. But I don't see much reason against something like this.
This is basically the UIT/Grey light trigun, vs the maud which is something more of a medium sized vessel.

What I'm missing with this ship is the demand for it. Sure, it'd be okay as an escort ship (this one would it'd be sticking close to the ships it is protecting; it is not an advance escort)... but why would I choose this over my x1? The only thing I can think of is its easier to buy. Maybe that's a good enough reason for many, but I don't think its enough for me.

Nevertheless, [stamp of approval].

I am hoping it can also fill the demand for people who want a valk-maud type fighting ship but can't get itani admired when the faction redux comes out. So I think there would be a lot of demand from serco pilots. Also I could see a lot of UIT getting it with out having to raise standing with another faction to get a special ship.

I would like some feed back on the armor because of its profile it can be hit easy but moving it up to valk like would seem to high maybe I might boost it to 9600 if people do not have a problem with it.

Like Atice, I can't see much objectionable here. I don't think it needs any RP about Itani engines - inverse-pulse gravitic drives finally being out of the prototype phase would do it.

I'd fly that.

Needs a new name, the "Nighthawk" is the predecessor to the modern Vulture.

Seems... okay otherwise. I guess. Would have to fly one for a bit to know for sure.

oh yeah i totally forgot about that damn. any name suggestions? I'm thinking buzzard or harpy

Harpy's taken (see Miharu, above).

ok changed it to buzzard around with some of the stats

It would deffinatly be an upgrade to the current one =) I would fly it.

bump. just to piss all the newbs off in the axia hunter