Plumbata Conventional Fighter

[simpleguy]

Despite what the rumors may say, the rotary-style Heavy Recoilless Rifle on the Ravager BA was not a result of working on Rotary Autocannons. In fact, it is the opposite - those rumors that managed to convince Doctor Dafyyd Rou and Marian Arms Incorporated to actually attempt to develop one. Of course, even with the Fifth Succession War unfolding in the Inner Sphere, men and finances were limited, and limited production runs started only in the late 3090s. While the Mechbuster used as a testbed for a RAC was never intended by its designers to be used for any other purpose, offers to buy one eventually managed to convince Hadrian Mechanized Industries to expand their aerospace portfolio into conventional flight.

Sadly, attempts to license the Mechbuster chassis were futile, and the search for potential chassis for bearing the Rotary Autocannon eventually settled on a heavily modified Raubvogel frame - most of the modifications focusing on adding VSTOL capabilities or making it different enough to pass in court (not in a Steiner one - though Lyrans are no friends to Marians anyway). The fuel tank was lengthened to increase the plane's range by half... if it would keep its old engine. It didn't - a 225 turbine would increase the plane's speed, and even armor was improved - also by half, though it isn't exactly much anyway - three tons of armor make the two-ton ammo bin for the RAC look extremely optimistic in the face of any anti-air weaponry. It is, however, surprisingly cheap, more than four times cheaper than HMI's licensed Shilones - which gives it a clear niche as a cheap Periphery anti-raider fighter, in which even the short-legged, VSTOL-lacking Mechbuster with only 5 bursts for its autocannon was actually used by (desperate) planets. While Caesar O'Reilly isn't currently willing to sell the resulting product to his neighbors, as Marians still often engage in raiding themselves, there is a home market for the plane, and rumors say that Outworlds Alliance may be interested in a batch.

Code: Select all

Plumbata (Standard)

Mass: 45 tons
Frame: P-AC-45
Power Plant: 225 ICE
Armor: Marian Arms Standard
Armament:
     1 Rotary AC/5
Manufacturer: Hadrian Mechanized Industries
     Primary Factory: Pompey
Communication System: Garret T10B
Targeting & Tracking System: O-P 911
Introduction Year: 3100
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-D
Cost: 703,518 C-bills

Type: Plumbata
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 542

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        225 ICE                20
   Safe Thrust: 5
   Max Thrust: 8
Structural Integrity:         5                       
VSTOL Equipment:                                    2.5
Heat Sinks:                   0                       0
Fuel:                         480                   3.0
Cockpit                                             4.5
Armor Factor                  45                      3

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    15   
     Wings                 10/10   
     Aft                     10   


Weapons
and Ammo                Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Rotary AC/5               NOS       10.0     -     20   20    0    0 
Rotary AC/5 Ammo (40)     FSLG      2.0      -      -    -    -    - 


However, Rotary ACs are, despite best efforts from Marian Arms, still scarce in the Hegemony, and many Plumbatae are fitted with more ubiquitous (and imported/"imported" from FWL) MMLs and Machine Guns. While dogfighting, already dangerous for the poorly-armored Plumbata, becomes a death sentence, LRM range and general missile availability ensure that this variant may actually still be manufactured along with the main one when RAC/5 production is brought to intended amounts.

Code: Select all

Plumbata (MML)

Mass: 45 tons
Frame: P-AC-45
Power Plant: 225 ICE
Armor: Marian Arms Standard
Armament:
     3 MML 5
     1 Machine Gun
Manufacturer: Hadrian Mechanized Industries
     Primary Factory: Pompey
Communication System: Garret T10B
Targeting & Tracking System: O-P 911
Introduction Year: 3100
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-E-D
Cost: 689,430 C-bills

Type: Plumbata
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 294

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        225 ICE                20
   Safe Thrust: 5
   Max Thrust: 8
Structural Integrity:         5                       
VSTOL Equipment:                                    2.5
Heat Sinks:                   0                       0
Fuel:                         480                   3.0
Cockpit                                             4.5
Armor Factor                  45                      3

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    15   
     Wings                 10/10   
     Aft                     10   


Weapons
and Ammo                      Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
3 MML 5                         NOS       9.0      -     6/3  0/3  0/3   0 
Machine Gun                     NOS       0.5      -      2    0    0    0 
MML 5 SRM Ammo (20)             FSLG      1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
MML 5 LRM Ammo (24)             FSLG      1.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Half Machine Gun Ammo (100)     FSLG      0.5      -      -    -    -    - 

[Vampire]

You forgot about the devastation that can be added by external payloads

I love the idea of mixing together low tech frame with high tech weapons and equipment for a solid machine at low budget. That being said, while your fluff mention that it's difficult to obtain RAC, it'd be equally hard to get MMLs, imported or otherwise. You can thumb your nose at the MechBuster by similarly mounting 3 standard medium lasers with the heat sinks for wholesome strafing capabilities, or consider mounting more traditional missile launchers (of one type or mixed).

[Mariahsyn]

If you want to get past the issue of the RAC, partner with Outback Industries on Offerman in the FedSuns Periphery March and let them produce it under license as the "Snake-Eater" and it would sell like hotcakes in both the Periphery and Draconis Marches

[simpleguy]

You forgot about the devastation that can be added by external payloads

Haha large fuel-air bomb goes whoosh

I love the idea of mixing together low tech frame with high tech weapons and equipment for a solid machine at low budget. That being said, while your fluff mention that it's difficult to obtain RAC, it'd be equally hard to get MMLs, imported or otherwise. You can thumb your nose at the MechBuster by similarly mounting 3 standard medium lasers with the heat sinks for wholesome strafing capabilities, or consider mounting more traditional missile launchers (of one type or mixed).

Availability D is not too bad anyway, we're in the Dark Age where a lot of weapons are surprisingly common and IS factions start producing clantech (okay, we're not that far in). I'll think about it.

If you want to get past the issue of the RAC, partner with Outback Industries on Offerman in the FedSuns Periphery March and let them produce it under license as the "Snake-Eater" and it would sell like hotcakes in both the Periphery and Draconis Marches

Hmmm, FedSuns are far enough from the Marians for that to work... If Caesar will give us a green light, you'll be the first to hear about it.