Karnov VSTOL Transport 3025 Variant |
Karnov VSTOL Transport 3025 Variant |
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Dec 21 2005, 12:30 PM
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CODE BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout VALIDATED Type/Model: Karnov UR Transport Tech: Inner Sphere / 3025 Config: V.T.O.L. Rules: Level 1, Standard design Mass: 30 tons Power Plant: 190 I.C.E. Cruise Speed: 118.8 km/h Maximum Speed: 183.6 km/h Armor Type: Star Slab 1.5 Standard Armament: None Manufacturer: New Earth Trading Company Location: Terra Communications System: Johnston Q-Rotor Targeting & Tracking System: (Unknown) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==Overview:== The Karnov UR Transport is a heavy lift helicopter. It is no longer known when the Karnov first entered service, but most experts believe it is a Terran design hundreds of years old. Equally puzzling is the fact that the Karnov is currently sold by the New Earth Trading Company, NETC has no known VTOL production facilities, nor does any other firm admit to producing the Karnov on a sub-contractual basis with NETC. It is already a century since New Earth first began to offer new Karnovs for sale, however. Their sales representatives write up the orders and the Karnovs arrive on the next NETC DropShip. Whatever its origin, the Karnov has proven to be a reliable and hardy machine. All of the Successor State armed forces and many mercenary units use at least some Karnovs for supply and logistics missions. Many commercial firms also use the Karnov for local transportation of cargo, and as a flying crane. ==Capabilities:== The Karnov UR is built around a DAV 190 I.C.E. aircraft engine, which is known for its superior reliability and ruggedness. Centrally mounted in the top of the fuselage, the DAV connects by drive shafts that extend down the fixed wing to pylons, where the twin rotor blades are housed. The pylons are able to rotate in a 90-degree arc, which allows the Karnov UR horizontal speeds of close to 184 kph. This makes it one of the fastest heavy transport VTOLs in use. This speed does not come with out cost, however. The rotors are so large that they must be rotated to a vertical position when landing or else they will strike the ground. Many new pilots forget this simple rule and have destroyed their vehicles. The Karnov has a variable landing gear. At maximum extension the helicopter can straddle a load up to 3.3 meters tall. With the landing gear fully collapsed, the interior cargo bay ramp can be lowered and cargo loaded on or off. Its Star Slab armor gives the Karnov a reasonable chance of survival if attacked by a lightly armed attacker. Its rotors are quite delicate, however, and offer rather large targets. Many crashed Karnovs can be seen on a battlefield with their fuselage intact but their rotors totally shot away ==Battle History:== Like most modern support vehicles, the Karnov UR is not designed for combat. Slow when fully loaded, lacking weaponry and with vulnerable rotors, the Karnov is a sitting duck for any combat unit. Some logistical units have managed to make a name for themselves using the Karnov, however. Hsien's Hotheads had four Karnovs in their supply section when the unit landed on Loongana in Marik space in 3012. The Hotheads were making a resource raid for Steiner and expected an easy time, but the Marik garrison was expecting them. What should have been a cakewalk for the Hotheads became a wild and confused free-for-all. At one point in the battle, Colonel Hsien decided to commit the orbital reserves. A company of light 'Mechs were to drop in what was thought to be an open field in the enemy rear area. Again, the Marik defenders were well-prepared, having mined all potential drop zones. When the 'Mech company landed, every single one was crippled by mine explosions and stranded in the middle of the field. Though Hsien needed to withdraw, he couldn't abandon his reserve company. He ordered the Karnov section to recover the crippled company. The Marik defenders were still entangled with the rest of the Hotheads, but did send a company of foot infantry to ensure that their potential MechWarrior prisoners or salvage did not get away. The infantry unit could not enter the minefield because some of the 'Mechs still had functioning weapons and the 'Mechs could not move out on their own. A standoff occurred, with the Marik infantry content to wait in the woods for the arrival of some heavier equipment to deal with the crippled units. When the Karnovs came in over the treetops and positioned themselves over four of the 'Mechs, every one was astonished. The Marik commander was not able to organize his troops until well after the first four airlifted 'Mechs vanished over the hills. On their next pass, the Karnovs were not as lucky, however. All took hits from Marik small-arms fire, with one of the Karnovs crashing into the field and setting off another mine. The three other helicopters did succeed in making off with their cargo. Twice more during the afternoon, the Karnovs came over the field. A pilot positioned the helicopter over a ''Mech, lowering a cargo sling down to a frantic MechWarrior, and then lifted the 'Mech out. The Hotheads lost one more Karnov in the process but they retrieved all their 'Mechs and warriors. The last two Karnovs made a final flight to the minefield to pick up their downed comrades. This time the Marik infantry company had finally gotten some help. As the helicopters crested the tree line, first one then the other exploded. A Marik Rifleman lumbered over to check the flaming wreckage. Hsien's Hotheads lifted off without the eight Karnov crewmen. Their widows were granted a MechWarrior's pension by the regiment and the crewmen were posthumously awarded the Order of the Tamar Tigers. ==Variants:== Variant models of the Karnov are not supplied by NETC. In fact the basic design has not changed in a single detail since NETC started supplying the craft 100 years ago. In most cases variants on the Karnov are made in the field by arming it with some form of small weapon. Often the internal cargo bay is used to mount machine guns or missile racks. ==Notable Vehicles & Crew:== Manfred von Kalowski Manfred von Kalowski is a Marik Karnov pilot assigned to a garrison unit on Irain. Every day his red-painted Karnov carries equipment and machinery up to the construction site of the new 'Mech factories. Manfred is viewed as an oddity, not only because of the paint scheme on his helicopter but also because he likes to wear leather flying helmet, jacket and a long white scarf while piloting his Karnov. His eccentricities have ensured that no rear seat pilot will fly with him any longer than he must. -------------------------------------------------------- Type/Model: Karnov UR Transport Mass: 30 tons Equipment: Items Mass Int. Struct.: 15 pts Standard 0 3.00 Engine: 190 I.C.E. 0 15.00 Cruise MP: 11 Flank MP: 17 Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00 Cockpit & Controls: 0 1.50 Crew: 2 Members 0 .00 Rotor Equipment: Main/Tail Rotors 0 3.00 Armor Factor: 24 pts Standard 0 1.50 Internal Armor Structure Value Front: 3 6 Left / Right Sides: 3 5/5 Rear: 3 6 Rotor: 3 2 Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass -------------------------------------------------------- Cargo Bay Capacity Body 1 6.00 -------------------------------------------------------- TOTALS: 0 1 30.00 Items & Tons Left: 10 .00 Calculated Factors: Total Cost: 550,000 C-Bills Battle Value: 19 |
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