Name: Karen Lóng Xiang
Nickname/Callsign: Turncoat
Age: 31
Nationality: Taiwanese (Chinese defector)
Appearance:
Bio: Xiang was born outside of Shanghai in 1987. Prior to her enlistment in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, Xiang’s life was largely normal; education and her social life were the most significant worries of her youth. That changed when she was eleven years old, with the arrival of the '98 asteroid. The ensuing tsunamis along the coast of China forced her family to flee further inland, leaving behind their home and many valuable possessions, friends and ambitions. The Chinese east coast fell into disarray following the destruction, causing strain on the government and its people. Many of Xiang's childhood friends likely perished in the opening waves of the disaster, as she has never been able to reconnect with them.
At the age of eighteen, one year after the signing of the September Agreement, Xiang was conscripted into military service. It was a rare instance of the PLA enforcing a formal draft, which was necessitated following the loss of a sizable chunk of its population to the '98 asteroid. Xiang ended up training in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, following the examination of her proficient tests; high marks for initiative, spacial awareness and mathematics earning her a ticket in the PLAAF. Like pilot Everett Yang Defei, Xiang was pulled into aviation duty when the PLAAF recognized a need for more pilots.
Just as Xian was starting to make a name for herself among her squadron, China initiated attacks on the UNF in a struggle for the increasingly hard-to-acquire raw materials and resources it needed. Xiang's fighter group was among those mobilized, and she spent a modest amount of time in the air. Her sorties were met with some initial success against the Japanese Self Defense Force, and she became a well-respected pilot among her peers. Despite this, Xiang couldn't bring her consciousness to justify the actions of the PLA in declaring war. Although she'd carry out her orders like the soldier she was trained to be, her heart was not invested in it.
During a sortie over Taiwan, Xiang shocked her flight with a final goodbye before zipping past Taiwanese airspace and announcing her defection. Over the next several weeks, Xiang's loyalty was screened by the Taiwanese, and she was eventually given a place in the Republic of China Air Force. Soon, she'd by flying missions against the very nation she had served a month before. While the notion of shooting down her former comrades was at first uncomfortable, Xiang felt as though she were doing the right thing, and using her skills to defend, rather than attack. Because of her defection and subsequent action against the Chinese, some began to refer to her as "Turncoat," which stuck.
When the UN caught its bearing following UNWO's initial strikes, it began sourcing pilots to recruit. Xiang's defection had become the subject of some debate, drawing the UN's attention. After reviewing her combat records, it was decided she'd be a strong addition to the Avalon Institute's Excalibur Squadron.
Service Record:
- 3 months in PLA, basic infantryman training
- 5 years in PLAAF, Limited international cross training. Combat action over Japan and Taiwan
- 8 years with ROCAF, Combat action throughout Pacific
Aircraft Details
The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of light supersonic fighter aircraft, first designed in the late 1950's and with approximately 500 aircraft still in service as of 2014. Being smaller and simpler than contemporary aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the F-5 was significantly lower in cost to both procure and operate while maintaining high performance, making it popular on the export market. Though it was not procured in volume by the United States and thus has only a limited U.S. combat record, it was perhaps the most effective U.S. air-to-air fighter in the 1960s and early 1970s. In combat its small visual and radar cross section size and consequent detection difficulty often conferred the F-5 the advantage of surprise. The aircraft also has a high sortie rate, low accident rate, and high maneuverability. The flying qualities of the F-5 are often highly rated, comparable to the North American F-86 Sabre and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. Fiscally, the F-5 is reportedly unmatched among supersonic fighters, a contributing factor to its long service life.
Name of Aircraft: Northrop F-5E/AI Tiger IV
Profile Link:
Northrop F-5Modifications:
Standard Avalon Institute upgrades, including:
-AN/APG-81 AESA radar system
-Glass cockpit with multi-function displays
-Electronic warfare system
-External body-mounted conformal fuel-tanks (CFT's) for extended range
-External cameras to aid in high AoA and high-speed carrier landings
-Navalized configuration with powered fly-by-wire controls
-One-piece canopy for improved visibility
-Retractable in-flight refueling probe
-Thrust-vector-capable engine, with increased usage of light-weight composite, ceramic and alloy components
-Updated stores management systems integrating wider range of ordnance
Personal Colour Scheme:
The aircraft is painted in a two-tone scheme - the central fuselage in a light grey and the wings and flaps in a slightly darker shade, with the two colors intersecting in a wavy pattern. The rear tailfin sports a white silhouette of a
dadao emblazoned on a red background. The aircraft has retained its ROCAF roundels.
Weapon Systems (Stock):
Guns: 2× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39A2 Revolver cannons in the nose, 280 rounds/gun
Hardpoints: 7 total (only pylon stations 3, 4 and 5 are wet-plumbed): 2× wing-tip AAM launch rails, 4× under-wing & 1× under-fuselage pylon stations with a capacity of 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets:
-2× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× /7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, respectively); or
-2× LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19× CRV7 70 mm rockets); or
-2× LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4× Zuni 127 mm rockets); or
-2× Matra rocket pods (each with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets)
Missiles:
-4× AIM-9 Sidewinders or 4× AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile
-2× AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles
-AA-8 Aphid, AA-10 Alamo, AA-11 Archer and other Russian/Chinese AAMs (Iranian ver.)
Bombs: A variety of air-to-ground ordnance such as the Mark 80 series of unguided bombs (including 3 kg and 14 kg practice bombs), CBU-24/49/52/58 cluster bomb munitions, napalm bomb canisters and M129 Leaflet bomb, and laser-guided bombs of Paveway family.
Other: Up to 3× 150/275 U.S. gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time.
