Kecha (Aircraft)

The Kecha series of aircraft, named after the Magdoran bird of the same name- as well as the closest non-sentient relative of the founding CEO of HIS, were a number of experimental aircraft intended to test and implement solutions for a number of aviation challenges.

Kecha units are generally not considered viable for mass production, however the technology they demonstrate is intended to be implemented elsewhere in the field, and a small number of each model is often sold to various private and public organizations for limited use.

KH-1 Apex Kecha
The namesake of the series, the Apex Kecha was designed in an effort to build the largest aircraft possible for the time, specifically for ultra-heavy cargo transportation. It earned its name as a result of early concepts involving a relatively small drive section hauling cargo multiple times larger, similarly to wild kecha birds.

The ultimate design of this vessel became a large and relatively flat body with massive delta wings, and an outwardly standard engine set. Philosophically, it was designed to maximize cargo volume, lift-to-weight, and lift-to-thrust, without massively altering the engine types it could use.

Later revisions would gradually improve the engine set, hull material, and eventually add semi-VTOL capacity and allow it to travel between the air and space, but it has remained an extremely rare aircraft in this time- only used by large airports with specialized runways and facilities for the Apex Kecha, though often used as part of coordinated supply efforts.

KH-2 Skirmisher
The Skirmisher was originally devised as a means of producing the fastest aircraft possible, reaching speeds exponentially higher than its competitors at the time, but it was developmentally entangled with HIS' militarisation efforts, resulting in an extremely fast and weapon-dense attack and interceptor craft.

One of the unique attributes of the Skirmisher was using prototype Ucrylium-enhanced thrusters, as well as a fuel mix that would later be used in early chemical rockets, which allowed a mass-optimized original model Skirmisher to nearly reach hypersonic speeds at a high altitude.

For the sake of combat potential however, this speed was massively sacrificed- only being able to reach mach 3 at high altitudes when fully loaded.

KH-3 Apex Skimmer
Initially conceived as a testbed for true VTOL technologies, the Apex Skimmer was exactly what its name suggests- a heavily modified Skimmer frame designed to supersede its predecessor's capacities. Visually, early model Apex Skimmers looked like regular Skimmers with a fully enclosed cabin, distinct aircraft tail, and a pair of large rotors embedded within the "wings".

The Apex Skimmer would quickly become the most popular Kecha series aircraft, as it would gain popularity among Magdora's richest residents as a means of transport to any location they desired, beyond the limitations of even standard Skimmers, thanks to being able to land and take off from practically anywhere.

Though much of the technology demonstrated would find its way back to standard Skimmer designs, among other things, the Apex Skimmer would find a life of its own outside of HIS, once the demand saw to the company selling off design templates to more proficient vehicle manufacturers. This also had the side effect of making HIS manufactured Skimmers even more valuable to the collectors so inclined, as luxury and civilian models would see a much larger scale of production compared to HIS'.