Planetlifter Transport Aircraft |
Planetlifter Transport Aircraft |
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Dec 21 2005, 12:27 PM
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CODE AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout VALIDATED Class/Model/Name: Planetlifter (TR3026) Tech: Inner Sphere / 3002 Vessel Type: Conventional Fighter Rules: Level 1, Standard design Rules Set: AeroTech2 Mass: 50 tons Length: 25 meters Power Plant: 200 Turbine Safe Thrust: 4 Maximum Thrust: 6 Armor Type: Standard Armament: None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==Overview:== The Planetlifter is a typical example of a conventional heavy transport aircraft. These craft are assigned directly to a planetary garrison commander, allowing him to quickly shift his combat assets from one battlefield to another. This strategic mobility functions effectively as a force-multiplier, allowing a garrison to be spread out for population control and as a counter to small unit raids, but still able to concentrate quickly to blunt major assaults. ==Capabilities:== The Marik-produced Planetlifter can carry up to 70 tons of cargo. The forward armored section of the aircraft can take up to 20 tons, while another 50 tons can be carried in an unprotected bay. The bulkhead separating the two areas is removable, to allow the aircraft to carry loads that cannot be stored conveniently in one bay or the other. The loading procedures for a Planetlifter are unique. Vehicles and infantry can load in the normal manner, via cargo ramps in the tail or the nose. 'Mechs can also be quickly and safely loaded onto the Planetlifter because the entire length of the upper fuselage detaches from the lower fuselage. A Planetlifter lowers itself to ground level on its variable landing gear, detaches the lower fuselage, and then rolls away. The ‘Mech to be transported then lies down on top of the now-exposed cargo bay floor, and is secured by the ground crew. The aircraft then rolls back over the lower fuselage, attaches itself, and is ready to take off. An experienced crew can land, load a Warhammer, and take off again in under 15 minutes. The Planetlifter is a very rugged machine. With its VSTOL (Very Short Take Off or Landing) capabilities, it needs not operate only from established airfields. This capability endears it to garrison commanders who have continually seen their established airfields captured or destroyed by the first wave of an invading force. Even if all of a commander’s airfields are knocked out, the Planetlifter gives him the ability to move his forces to and from any area that has at least 400 meters of open space. ==Deployment== The most famous battle involving Planetlifters occurred in 3002, when a Steiner raiding force attacked the Marik planet of Autumn Wind. The Steiner task force consisted of the Union Class DropShip Bolan’s Blood and the ‘Mech company Cassion’s Commandos. The DropShip and Company Commanders, Commander Reynolds and Hauptman Cassion, had been operating together for the previous two years, ranging up and down the Marik border, hitting one world and then another. When they returned from their most recent mission, they were met by their new Task Force Commander, Leutnant Colonel O’Rielly, who had been recently reas-signed to combat duty from the Administrative Section. Leutnant Colonel O'Rielly explained their new mission, a deep penetration raid into Marik space to hit three industrial complexes located on the planet of Autumn Wind. Marik opposition was expected to be light: a few battalions of locally raised militia, three Planetlifters, and a regiment of jump infantry that was refitting. Reynolds and Cassion saluted and went to formulate their battle plan. They had been used to having a nominal Task Force Commander assigned from the growing pool of hopeful "Social Generals." Normally, such a commander would just go along for the ride, get his required time in "combat," and return to the rear areas, where he could continue his climb up the social ladder. Cassion and Reynolds’s battle plan was based on their two years’ experience. Autumn Wind possessed no space defense force or conventional fighters, so the Blood would land directly on the planet near the first industrial complex. The Commandos would disembark and, with fire support from the Blood, destroy the complex. The ‘Mech company would then re-embark on the DropShip. A suborbital flight would take the Blood to the next complex, and so on down the line. Much to the Hauptmann’s shock, Leutnant Colonel O’Rielly rejected the plan and laid out his own. Each of the Commando lances would drop from space to land 20 kilometers away from their assigned complexes in order to reorganize themselves after the drop. The lance would then move to destroy the complexes. Afterward, they would rendezvous at a central point for pickup by the DropShip. This strategy, O’Rielly explained, would not allow the Marik commander to concentrate his forces in a timely manner, and would allow the DropShip to land and give support to any lance that got into trouble. Even though Cassion and Reynolds protested this new plan vigorously, O’Rielly was adamant. When he threatened them with summary court-martial, however, they had to relent. Colonel Joseph Yetti was the commander of the 751st Jump Regiment and was assigned temporary control of the military defenses of Autumn Wind. When informed of the Steiner force moving toward the planet, he quickly mustered the 751st, loaded them onto Planetlifters, and moved the regiment to an assembly area equidistant from the four complexes. When the Steiner drop began, Yetti loaded the 751st and hit the recon lance just as they started to move from their drop zone. The other three lances continued their advance on the other complexes, but the local militia slowed them down. The Blood was ordered to land and support the recon lance. By the time it made planetfall, the lance had been destroyed and its attackers had vanished. Even as the Blood landed, the 751st was hitting the Commandos’ Fire Lance. The Blood lifted again to support the stricken lance, but to no avail. They arrived too late. Two hours later, Cassion's Lance had been able to brush aside the defending militia and move to within sight of its assigned complex. At that moment, two Planetlifters flew overhead, and two battalions of the 751st were floating down toward them. Cassion could take no more. He ordered his lance to break off, and called in the Blood to pick them up at a clearing ten kilometers to the north. Yetti intercepted that signal and sent his final battalion in on the remaining Planetlifter to secure the landing zone. As the Blood started its final approach, it was met by a barrage of missiles. One lucky hit later, the Blood was a cripple on the ground. The command lance was able to fight its way clear to the DropShip, but there was no way off the planet. Late that afternoon, Cassion’s Commandos and the DropShip Bolan’s Blood surrendered to Colonel Yetti and the battered 751st Jump Regiment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Class/Model/Name: Planetlifter (TR3026) Mass: 50 tons Equipment: Mass Power Plant: 200 Turbine 17.00 Thrust: Safe Thrust: 4 Maximum Thrust: 6 Structural Integrity: 5 .00 VSTOL Equipment: 2.50 Total Heat Sinks: 0 Single .00 Fuel: 2.00 Cockpit, Avionics & Attitude Thrusters: 5.00 Armor Type: Standard (48 total armor pts) 3.00 Standard Scale Armor Pts Location: L / R Nose: 22 Left/Right Wings: 6/6 Aft: 14 Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Cargo (up to 70 externall 20.50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TOTALS: Heat: 0 50.00 Tons Left: .00 Calculated Factors: Total Cost: 343,833 C-Bills Battle Value: 189 |
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