The DarkStar is a small stealth aircraft with stubby wings and a large lifting-body fuselage. It possesses large air intakes that power massive scramjet engines beneath the craft.[note 2] These engines provide the DarkStar with an incredible top speed that exceeds Mach 5 (6,100 km/h; 3,800 mph); with additional tuning parts, the DarkStar can reach speeds of 3,500 knots (6,500 km/h; 4,000 mph), surpassing the MiG-31B Foxhound and making it the fastest aircraft in Ace Combat 7. Its small vertical stabilizers are all-moving, rotating the entire control surface when yawing rather than using a traditional rudder.
The DarkStar's cockpit is small and difficult to see out of. The cockpit glass appears to be a one-way mirror; the middle cockpit window cannot be seen through from outside the aircraft. The cockpit's airspeed indicator uses Mach as its unit of measurement, as a testament to the aircraft's high speed.
The DarkStar has two internal weapon bays which can store air-to-air missiles or small-diameter bombs. It also features two nose-mounted pulse lasers, one on either side of the cockpit.
Game Analysis
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
"A supersonic[sic] stealth fighter with extraordinary high-speed flight capabilities that set it apart from other aircraft. Its staggering speed can be used as a powerful weapon itself, allowing the aircraft to not only break into firing range before the enemy has time to counter, but also outfly[sic] missiles that have locked onto it once the fighter reaches top speed.
However, the aircraft becomes extremely difficult to handle when flying at supersonic[sic] speeds, which greatly enlarges the aircraft's turning radius and requires split-second decision-making that tests the limits of human capability. Only the greatest of ace pilots with exceptional maneuvering abilities and the keen judgment to assess the tide of battle are able to fully utilize this aircraft.
This is an original aircraft designed as part of a collaboration with "Top Gun: Maverick"."
↑The Sky KidPiston Fighters in Ace Combat Infinity were the first licensed fictional aircraft in Ace Combat, but Bandai Namco owns Sky Kid. The F-15S bears a resemblance to a fictional F-15 in Patlabor 2: The Movie but, if it was based on the movie's aircraft, it was not officially licensed.
↑The cockpit of the DarkStar features "SCRAM", short for "SCRAMJET", as part of the interface.
