I really do like the artwork for the Halo Falcon tilt-rotor VTOL.
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BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Type/Model: Firefly Scout VTOL
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025
Config: V.T.O.L.
Rules: Level 1, Standard design
Mass: 8 tons
Power Plant: 40 DAV I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 118.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 183.6 km/h
Armor Type: Star Slab/2.0 Standard
Armament:
3 Scatter Gun Light Machine Guns
Manufacturer: New Earth Trading Company
Location: New Earth
Communications System: ComStar Rover
Targeting & Tracking System: ComStar Test-2Av
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Many companies across the Inner Sphere and Periphery build VTOLs. VTOLs come in three main types, with variations of each type’s basic arrangement. The least common type of VTOL available on the market today is the tilt-rotor design, the most famous of which is NETC’s Karnov UR. NETC offers a several tilt-rotor VTOLs, not just the Karnov, although none of the others are used as widely as the Karnov. The Lighting Bug, a VTOL geared towards the civilian market despite being designed to military standards, and its scaled up sister, the Firefly Scout, are two more of NETC’s staple tilt-rotor designs.
The Lightning Bug began life as a general-purpose VTOL designed about the time of the formation of the first Star League. The general purpose model has never been very popular, but two other models, the VIP transport and air ambulance, filling niche markets where speed is essential, have been much better sellers. The VIP transport can carry five people, usually nobles or corporate executives, in luxurious style. VIP transport interiors are custom built to each owner’s personal tastes. The air ambulance model is designed to provide the best equipped trauma transport available for a single patient. The air ambulance model has room for up to two trauma specialists to work in reasonably spacious conditions. The Lightning Bug’s scaled up sister design, the Firefly, is strictly intended for military missions however.
In an attempt to capitalize on the investment already made on the Lightning Bug NETC decided to utilize the same power plant and associated rotor system components on a larger version of the airframe rather than design a new VTOL from scratch for scouting and light attack duties. The VTOL was also intended to serve as an insertion vehicle for small special operations teams. Results were mixed; performance suffered, armor was limited and weaponry has been charitably describe as somewhat lacking. In keeping with time honored tradition the VTOL’s two side mounted machine guns can be operated by gunners manning each one. The gunners also provide extra eyes for observation. The pilot can control the side machine guns if necessary however and controls the forward machine gun. Regardless of its shortcoming the Firefly has been a steady seller for NETC since it is inexpensive and easily obtainable. The Firefly is especially popular with militias and less affluent mercenary forces. All in all the Firefly is capable of fulfilling its mission if that mission is limited to scouting, without engaging anything other lightly armed insurgents. The Firefly is often used as a liaison vehicle as well.
Variants of the Firefly abound. NETC provides two variants and user modified examples are quite common. The most common variant by far is the MEDVAC design. The MEDVAC model removes the two side-mounted machine guns, which provides room for four trauma pods [paramedic equipment sets]. NETC elected to keep the chin mounted machine gun on the MEDVAC variant to provide suppressive fire support during hot evacuations. Many doctors assigned to MEDVAC units however insist the machine guns be removed for obvious reasons, at least before their first mission in a combat zone. The most recent, and current bestselling variant, of the Firefly drastically improves its firepower and utility for scouting missions. Like the MEDVAC variant this variant removes the two side-mounted machine guns in favor of a rocket launcher forward and remote sensor dispenser aft. The rocket launcher is not intended to make the VTOL a true attack model but it does provide enough firepower to make many units think twice when a Firefly is buzzing about. The remote sensor dispenser allows units to more efficiently observe greater areas than they would be able to otherwise. User modifications are quite common, machine guns are frequently swapped out for other models and NETC provides the option of light machine guns too. Rumors have been circulating for quite some time that NETC will offer a variant with a nose-mounted MagShot gauss rifle, whether this is in addition to or instead of the nose-mounted machine gun varies with the rumormonger. The Firefly has a lackluster combat record but it is effective if used within its limits.
As most military historians call tell you, VTOLs are not meant for direct engagement of the enemy. They are best used as a maneuver element allowing units to quickly relocate assets or locate the enemy. If they are sent to engage the enemy they are best used as harassing elements, not blocking forces. And the Firefly is not intended to harass much of anything, and even then only with great care as pointed out during the Capellan invasion of Stein’s Folly during the last years of the Third Succession War. Capellan commanders detailed an infantry company to secure a remote village north of the capitol. A Davion officer detailed a single Firefly to investigate possible Capellan activity near the village, as it was all that was available at the time. The careless pilot spotted nothing as he checked around the village, he then decided to make pass over it. The pilot didn’t get within a kilometer of the village square before a concealed outpost of Capellan soldiers fired a barrage of missiles at the VTOL. Villagers buried the charred remains of the pilot the next day. The very same VTOL unit showed the capabilities of the Firefly during the Capellan occupation of Stein’s Folly. The unit’s remaining Fireflies provided invaluable service shuttle observation teams around the countryside outside the capitol. The intelligence collected during these operations could not be relayed off world but once the Davion relief force arrived it proved very useful in locating and eliminating the last of the Capellan forces on Stein’s Folly.
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Type/Model: Firefly Scout VTOL
Mass: 8 tons
Equipment: Items Mass
Int. Struct.: 5 pts Standard 0 1.00
Engine: 40 I.C.E. 0 2.00
Cruise MP: 11
Flank MP: 17
Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00
Cockpit & Controls: 0 .50
Crew: 1 Members 0 .00
Rotor Equipment: Main/Tail Rotors 0 1.00
Armor Factor: 16 pts Standard 0 1.00
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front: 1 6
Left / Right Sides: 1 3/3
Rear: 1 2
Rotor: 1 2
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
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1 Machine Gun Front 0 100 2 1.00
1 Machine Gun Left 0 1 .50
1 Machine Gun Right 0 1 .50
Internal Bay Body 1 .50
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TOTALS: 0 5 8.00
Items & Tons Left: 1 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 96,056 C-Bills
Battle Value 2: 100 (old BV = 90)
Cost per BV: 960.56
Weapon Value: 3 / 3 (Ratio = .03 / .03)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 2; MRDmg = 0; LRDmg = 0
BattleForce2: MP: 11V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 1
Damage PB/M/L: 1/-/-, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 1
Code:
BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Type/Model: Lightning Bug VTOL
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025
Config: V.T.O.L.
Rules: Level 1, Standard design
Mass: 5 tons
Power Plant: 40 DAV I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 194.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 291.6 km/h
Armor Type: Star Slab/2.0 Standard
Armament: None
Manufacturer: New Earth Trading Company
Location: New Earth
Communications System: ComStar Rover
Targeting & Tracking System: None
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Type/Model: Lightning Bug VTOL
Mass: 5 tons
Equipment: Items Mass
Int. Struct.: 5 pts Standard 0 .50
Engine: 40 I.C.E. 0 2.00
Cruise MP: 18
Flank MP: 27
Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00
Cockpit & Controls: 0 .50
Crew: 1 Members 0 .00
Rotor Equipment: Main/Tail Rotors 0 .50
Armor Factor: 16 pts Standard 0 1.00
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front: 1 5
Left / Right Sides: 1 3/3
Rear: 1 3
Rotor: 1 2
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
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Internal Bay Body 1 .50
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TOTALS: 0 1 5.00
Items & Tons Left: 5 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 50,556 C-Bills
Battle Value 2: 67 (old BV = 11)
Cost per BV: 754.56
Weapon Value: 0 / 0 (Ratio = .00 / .00)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 0; MRDmg = 0; LRDmg = 0
BattleForce2: MP: 18V, Armor/Structure: 0 / 1
Damage PB/M/L: -/-/-, Overheat: 0
Class: VA; Point Value: 1
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