Skycar -- An Alternative to the Air Raft

[tbeard1999]

My Commonwealth campaign lacks contragrav propulsion systems, so no air-rafts. I've discussed my rationale for this in other threads, so I won't go into it here.

However, this is the vehicle that replaces the air raft:

TL 11 Skycar

Cr60,000, 4 tons. A light VTOL/STOL aircraft. Can cruise at 500 kph; maximum altitude 25,000m; pressurized cabin; carries 4 passengers. Has 4 engine necelles; can land safely if only one is working. Fusion powered. The craft can fly for 48 hours on a full fuel load, giving it a theoretical range of 24,000 km. However, habitability issues generally limit it to 4-6 hours. Carries 4 passengers and 500 kg of additional cargo. This is a mature technology at TL11. Pre-fusion models (TL8-9) have turbine engines and are limited to about 2 hours flight time. Basic avionics package allows nap of earth speeds of 120 kph.

Light gunship models exist. They carry one pilot and one gunner and mount 1000 kg of weaponry total. Typical choices include a rapid-pulse A plasma gun, light VRF gauss gun, 2 light rocket pods on underwing pylons, 8 TL12 15cm tac missiles on quad launchers mounted on underwing pylons, or 1000 kg of brilliant bombs (usually 100kg or 250 kg each) on underwing pylons. Ordinance mounted on underwing pylons reduces cruising speed to 400 kph. Advanced avionics package allows nap of earth speeds of 160 kph. Gunship models run about Cr100,000.

BTW, this is the Moller Skycar M400, with the serial numbers filed off. And Hot Wheels makes one of these, which scale well with 15mm or small 25mm figures.

Additional -- at TL8, Skycars are fairly loud (about 70% as loud as a Cessna light prop plane). At TL9+, noise cancellation tech makes them quieter. But when flying NOE, you will definitely hear them.

 

[Gadrin]

I rather liked the Rolen Politesse from the T4 Central Supply Catalog.

>

 

[Mithras]

Have you also seen the 'spinners' from Bladerunner? Not as technically feasible, no doubt, but still purportedly using ducted fans.

http://brmovie.com/Collect/BR_Col_Spinners.htm

http://www.mybladerunner.com/spinner-blueprints/2009/06/22/comment-page-1/#comment-646

http://artect.net/?p=378

 

[tbeard1999]

Have you also seen the 'spinners' from Bladerunner? Not as technically feasible, no doubt, but still purportedly using ducted fans.

Due to their quietness, I always imagined the spinners as being grav powered.

 

[Mithras]

Yes there wasn't much urgency to get out of the way when one began to lift off was there, but I think the 'artect' link includes more info, its a design site with quotes from Ridley Scott and Sid Mead, the designer.

 

[beowulf2044]

So, the alternative to the Grav Belt would be like. . . ?

 

[tbeard1999]

So, the alternative to the Grav Belt would be like. . . ?

In my campaign there is none.

Generally, given the fact that the Commonwealth Army (supplemented by Company forces and Sepoy units) is spread exceedingly thin, airmobile units are very common. Regular forces use TL12 fusion powered tiltrotor transports and gunships. But individual infantrymen either ride in transports or they walk.

If I could be convinced that personal jetpacks are feasible for individual infantry, I'd add them to the campaign.

 

[Greylond]

Maybe not jetpacks, but one man skimmers, a la Hammer's Slammers, have interesting possibilities.

 

[Icosahedron]

I'm sure I've seen, maybe on this board, a gravbelt-like contraption using ducted fans.

 

[leo knight]

A few images from my youth:

I couldn't resist the last one. Here's a link:
http://www.classicjq.com/info/lists/JQHardware.shtml
Enjoy!

 

[kafka47]

I remember Jonny Quest too...but I also remember being more frightened by things like this (although, I was never for ducking behind the sofa...although there is a scene in the Ark in Space that continues to haunt me)...

 

[sabredog]

Due to their quietness, I always imagined the spinners as being grav powered.

According to the book Sid Mead wrote on the designs he made for the movie spinners used ducted fans and a system for densifying/de-densifying hydrogen to provide lift. They used power cells and once airborne were controlled by the ducted fans underneath them.

The densifiying systems explained the mists released when the things take of and land as they release pressure. The pods containing the fuel cells are in the wheels as each is independently powered. The trick is that the vehicle can't generate more lift than is needed to just achieve neutral buoyancy and needs the ducted fans to generate motion and directed flight.

BTW: I use them on most of my outer edge worlds because flight inside city limits is illegal and contragrav tech is too expensive for most people to use since parts are hard to come by. So you can fly quickly between ranches and farms or cities, but you have to convert to safer ground travel once you get there.