The name "Apalis" is derived from a genus of passerine birds known for having long tails and small-yet-slender beaks, which are useful for swooping and catching insects in mid-flight. The nose of the Apalis vaguely resembles the beak of a bird, with the sloping of the cockpit and canopy forming the 'face.'
The XFA-24A was a prototype multirole aircraft created in the 2010s in the post-Circum-Pacific War period by an unknown manufacturer. It was designed primarily as a multirole fighter capable of operation under any conditions or circumstances, having been conceived under a philosophy of "not choosing the battlefield." Vaguely similar to a Rafale, it has a large fuel capacity and can carry heavy payloads on account of its design.[1]
The Apalis is a double-delta airframe with canards and a unique paddle-like thrust-vectoring design. Its performance is acceptable in every area, but is the aircraft is particularly suited to ground attack. This is due to a software upgrade, the "Earth Shaker" system, which enhances its ground attack ability by digitally analyzing terrain. Owing to its manufacturing creed, the Apalis was designed to use conventional parts and components to remain active in the face of supply shortages, and does not exceed in any particular aspect of performance to maintain affordability. Its operation is enhanced by the use of canards and thrust vectoring without sacrificing its combat capabilities.[1]
A number of Apalis airframes were in possession of the Aurelian Air Force by the start of the Aurelian War in 2020. Such aircraft were employed by Falco One during the opening stages of the war,[2] and by Gryphus One during the counteroffensive to reclaim the country. Gryphus One in particular used the aircraft to destroy the Gleipnir airship over Santa Elva,[3] before using it during the liberation of Griswall.[4]
Gryphus 1 and Falco 1 are the third and fourth player characters to canonically use a fictional aircraft (in their case, the Apalis), respectively. The first was Phoenix's XFA-27 in Ace Combat 2 and Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy, and the second was Nemo.
The Apalis's gun placement is inconsistent. In the cover art for Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion, as well as that game's CG introductory cutscene, the XFA-24A's gun is placed on the right side of the nose, between the cockpit and the right canard. However, in-game, the gun is instead placed on the right wing root's leading edge.
Thrust vectoring is the ability to change the direction of thrust emitted from an engine. Aircraft with thrust vector control can perform enhanced maneuvers not available to aircraft without it.
Thrust vectoring is the ability to change the direction of thrust emitted from an engine. Aircraft with thrust vector control can perform enhanced maneuvers not available to aircraft without it.
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