This episode is brought to you by Rajhi Viet Aerospace.
A poster featuring some of the most famous variants of the Rajhi Viet UC-67
is now available in the Templin Commissary. And stick around after the video to find out how the
latest line of Rajhi Viet aerospace craft can offer superior performance and capabilities
for every theater of operation, with the ability to grow to meet future requirements.
The transition of the Antares Confederacy from a fragmented collection of terrestrial states
towards a starfaring, colonizing power, brought with it the requirements for an entirely new fleet
of aerospace vehicles. The fulfillment of that requirement was one of the most
transformative events in human history. In the span of only a few decades, single-stage-to-orbit,
transatmospheric craft, once relatively rare and reserved for scientific or military use,
entered into the mainstream. Hundreds of thousands and then millions of such vehicles
began crisscrossing Confederate star systems, utilized by every industry
and agency, while increasingly in the hands of private corporations and individuals.
The most successful designs of this era became iconic symbols of the interstellar Confederacy,
but none have ever matched the relevance and versatility of the UC-67 Mistaya.
Holding the record for the longest continuously produced aerospace craft in human history,
the Mistaya name is now synonymous with a wider family of vehicles and specialized variants.
The UC-67 was initially designed as an infantry, medevac and cargo transport, colloquially referred
to as a dropship, but its extraordinarily adaptable airframe has proven effective in a
variety of different uses. Its military variants fulfill the role of gunships, airborne assault
craft, attack bombers, aerial refuelers, and serve as the main tactical-airlifter
within the Armed Forces of Antares. Civilian models are used in search and rescue operations,
scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling,
and firefighting. Over 120 variants of the Mistaya operate in more than twenty nations.
While successive redesigns and modernization programs have kept the Mistaya competitive
after nearly three centuries of use, the basic airframe has remained largely consistent.
Variants derived from the base UC-67 design are typically 98 feet long with a wingspan of 81 feet,
and built around a primary modular cargo bay.
Access to the bay is provided by a loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage,
but in certain models this has been removed entirely to facilitate more specialized equipment.
The UC-67 airframe is a dual pressure vessel design, with the forward crew compartment
wholly isolated from the rear modular bay. Critical life support, avionics, navigation,
and communication systems are co-located with the crew stations in the forward end of the vehicle.
In most variants, a minimum crew of two pilots is required for limited flight with an additional
navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster necessary for standard transport operations.
These are all situated in the Mistaya’s flight deck, which is outfitted with a sweeping array
of 6 large cockpit windows. Crew amenities on standard models include restroom facilities,
personnel bunks and a small kitchenette.
The Mistaya’s blended lifting body fuselage is flanked with large vertical fins
to provide directional stability in hypersonic operations. Further outboard, its distinctive
variable-sweep outer wings optimize aerodynamic performance throughout low- to high-speed flight,
and fold away fully to reduce the footprint of the vehicle for storage.The
extended twin-boom tails provide ample control authority,
with all control surfaces across the vehicle providing secondary functionality
as heatsinks for the demanding thermal management requirements of transatmospheric operations.
Five engines of various make and model, depending on the variant provide thrust. Two of these,
mounted to the sides of the aft fuselage, are typically dedicated towards atmospheric flight,
with the remaining three reserved for use in a vacuum. When operating in particularly demanding
atmospheric or gravitational conditions, or during emergencies, all five can be used concurrently.
Fuel for the primary engines is stored in multiple tanks in the wing root and aft fuselage,
while engine management is situated alongside the craft’s environmental controls in the
spinal systems bay. Numerous microthrusters are distributed across the fuselage and wing root
to provide reaction controls, and can support limited VTOL capability
in suitable low-gravity operational regimes.
The creation of the UC-67 came about largely as a result of the integration of the Antares Star
System. The earliest interstellar development efforts undertaken by the Confederacy were
noted for the inefficient methods of delivering orbital cargo and personnel to planetary surfaces.
These landings caused significant wear and tear on the larger spacecraft of the era,
with smaller transports requiring a complete refurbishment of their thermal protection systems
after only a few atmospheric reentries. But by 249al, advances in transpiration cooling
and ceramic composite materials, made possible through a technological exchange with the
Cloister of the Spirits, promised a significant increase in durability at greatly reduced expense.
That same year, the Confederate Navy issued a General Operating Requirement
for a new transatmospheric transport aircraft.
Requirements for the new design were centered around the ability to seamlessly transition
between atmospheric and orbital flight. It was expected to carry 42 passengers,
32 combat troops, or 28 orbital paratroopers
in a cargo compartment that was approximately 39 feet long, 9 feet high and 11 feet wide.
This cargo area was envisioned as a modular component that could be easily replaced across the
vehicle’s lifespan or any future variants. Other specific requirements included the ability to
take-off from unprepared or improvised runways, an initial service life of at least 5,000 landings,
and substantial excess electrical power to support future specialized equipment.
The X-204 was one of three designs tendered by Rajhi Viet, the Confederacy’s third largest
defense contractor at that time. It narrowly won the Joint Transatmospheric Utility Dropship
Program, beating rivals from Chengatai Aerospace, O’Dowd Interplanetary, Suang Aerospace, and
Huaka’i Aviation. It formally entered production in 254al, and was redesignated the UC-67A.
Early issues with its Cloister-derived thermal coatings led to the loss of two
flight test airframes, including the original prototype. Despite this setback, and the lengthy
spaceworthiness certification program that followed, the 67A was an astonishing success.
It was highly regarded by the Confederate Navy, with additional orders placed by the constituent
republics of Sabmadi, Embasora, Mandakir, and Alfjari-Vet. Within a decade of its introduction,
every Republic within the Confederacy was utilizing the Mistaya in some capacity.
The UC-67 was pressed into action during the Liberation of Torix,
in which it ferried supplies and troops to the most remote of locations. During the
initial disastrous landings, UC-67s performed thousands of sorties to resupply cut-off units
or rescue injured soldiers in need of medical assistance. It proved itself perfectly equipped
to conduct low-altitude cargo drops, playing a key role in the defense of Landing Zone Kilitbahir
in which UC-67s accounted for 90% of the supplies used by Antares ground forces. The Mistaya also
became renowned during the Torix campaign for its adaptability, with many modifications made
by increasingly desperate Confederate airmen. UC-67s even functioned as makeshift bombers,
dropping large improvised explosives on enemy positions when no other air-assets were available.
The unexpected performance of these ad-hoc models led to the first, heavily armed,
long-endurance ground and orbital attack variants. The UC-67G was the first such design,
outfitted with dual 30mm cannons and a single 70mm railgun beneath the main fuselage.
Additional wing mounted missiles and precision bombs gave the 67G standoff capability.
The UC-67N was the interstellar naval version of this same concept tailored to its role on
Confederate carriers, sacrificing fuel capacity and endurance for an expanded
electronic warfare suite and internal weapons bays containing up to 16 anti-ship missiles.
While eventually replaced within Federal service by more specialized designs,
a UC-67N nicknamed “Thrillderness Man'' by its crew, gained national recognition for
its destruction of the Battleship “Emperor Sel-temek” during the First Beldrossi War.
Both the 67N and 67G would enter service within many Confederate Republics, often equipped with
indenigious weapons and in some cases produced under local license by native aerospace firms.
The success of the UC-67 in military use was replicated in the civilian sector.
In 285al, the modernized version of the Mistaya, now designated the UC-67B was adapted for civic
use and sold as the Rajhi Viet 205B. Thousands of such craft entered into commercial service,
used mainly by passenger liners and cargo companies. Additional sub-variants of the
205B would be specially equipped as search and rescue or aeromedical craft. Beginning in 308al,
a luxury version of the 205B, marketed as the Raji Viet Jasper
entered into production. It’s entirely redesigned interior featured more spacious living quarters,
spa style bathrooms and meeting rooms. Dozens of such variants were sold to private companies or
ultra-high net worth individuals, to be used exclusively by their employees or families.
The Akachi Flames hockey team was among the most prominent of Jasper owners,
and used their 205B to perform flybys over Akachi Stadium during playoff games.
In 406AL there came renewed pressure from the Confederate Navy
to replace the UC-67M, the latest modernized variant of the venerable 67A.
Cost overruns and the disappointing performance of proposed replacement designs
led the Antares Parliament to instead fund a larger, more advanced derivative of the Mistaya.
While outwardly similar to its predecessor, the UC-72M, often nicknamed the “Super Mistaya” was
a complete rework, incorporating the latest sensor suites, larger displays, and other avionics. The
72M was meant to be a stopgap measure while a dedicated replacement could be developed,
but the drastically improved performance at a greatly reduced cost, kept the
Mistaya in production for another century, and provided the basis for dozens more variants.
The UC-80P was the most successful of these, specially equipped for use within
the Pioneer Corps. These craft were the first vessels of their size within the Confederacy
capable of housing faster than light drives, a feature that would eventually be retrofitted
across much of the Mistaya fleet. While not yet acknowledged by the Antares government, special
forces within the Pioneers make use of additional sub-variants of Mistaya, believed to be equipped
with stealth technology and other classified equipment. The first public images of these
craft emerged during the liberation of Earth in 542al, and it is expected that once they are fully
revealed, they will provide the basis for the next modernization of the mainstream production line.
The UC-67 Mistaya has become a part of Antares like few other vehicles in human history. From
the great spaceports of Sagallo to austere runways on frontier colonies, the descendants
of that craft can be found, performing and supporting every imaginable mission in every
imaginable environment. No aerospace craft ever put into service can match its capabilities.
In every star system, on every world, during every second of the day,
a Mistaya is in the air or in orbit, going further than any thought possible.
Thanks to Rajhi Viet for sponsoring this investigation into the UC-67.
As one the Antares Confederacy’s leading Aerospace Corporations, Rajhi Viet is at
the forefront of research, design, development, and manufacturing with a profound commitment to
the integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
The UC-67 is just one way that Rajhi Viet continues to prove its reliability, efficiency
and adaptability in the most extreme mission profiles. But unrivaled versatility, proven
performance and enhanced capability are just the beginning. As a nation, corporation, or non-state
actor operating Rajhi Viet aerospace craft, you’ll have access to our 28/7 customer support center,
field support teams, and the patented Chinokee data analytics suite for advanced predictive
fleet operations optimization. But that’s not all, use the offer code MISTAYA and you’ll receive a
consultation on how you can prepare for the challenges of tomorrow with the Rajhi Viet
cohesive Future Vertical Lift Ecosystem absolutely free with the purchase of any tactical airlifter.
Or if you’d just like to get a poster featuring the UC-67’s most famous variants,
you’ll find a link in the description.