FR-17 Freelancer

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DireWolf
01/04/06 10:53 AM
84.228.37.70

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BattleMech Technical Readout

Type/Model: Freelancer FR-17
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3055
Config: Biped BattleMech
Rules: Level 2, Custom design

Mass: 100 tons
Chassis: Star League XT Standard
Power Plant: 300 Vlar XL Fusion
Walking Speed: 32.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 54.0 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor Type: Starshield CASE Standard
Armament:
1 Gauss Rifle
1 LB 10-X AC
1 ER PPC
1 LRM 5 w/ Artemis IV
1 Ultra AC/5
1 Guardian ECM
1 Medium Pulse Laser
1 Streak SRM 2
1 Anti-Missile System
Manufacturer: (Unknown)
Location: Taurus
Communications System: Army Comm. Class 5
Targeting & Tracking System: Army Corporation Type 29K

==Overview:==
The FR-17 Freelancer was the result of the Periphery nation of the Taurian Concordant beginning to experiment with building and testing recovered Star League era technology for use in Battlemechs. This prototype design was supposed to serve as a test-bed for the recovered technology manufacture process, as well as testing it and helping to iron out any and all quirks.

A part of the design team advocated using a brand-new chassis for the design, but others have pointed out that since this particular design is to serve only as a test-bed for different technologies, creating a new Battlemech from scratch would be wasteful. Finally, the decision was made to use the Star League XT chassis of the BNC-3E Banshee Battlemech, as it was a relatively common design in the periphery, nor a particularly successful one, meaning that a unit that would recieve the Freelancer modification would suffer no loss in performance, nevermind the project's success.

The design work began with several chassis, which were to be modified with the new weapons and technology. The aim was to place nearly all types of Star League technology on a single platform for testing, covering everything from Artemis guidance systems, through Extra-Light fusion reactors, Light-Ballistics Autocannons, Extended Range weapons, Pulse technology, Anti-missile systems and the fearsome Gauss Rifle.

As a test-bed for recovered technologies, the FR-17 was a stunning success, allowing the Taurian Concordant to close the gap between the Periphery and the Successor States much more quickly than otherwise possible.

A total of 9 Banshee chassis were converted into FR-17 Freelancers.

==Capabilities:==
Although the Freelance is based off the BNC-3E Starleague XT chassis, the similarity is not particularly evident. Most of the upper torso had to be redesigned due to the new Vlar 300XL engine installed into the Battlemech, as well as the entirely new weapons loadout. Both arms are now missing their hand actuators, which gave the ancient BNC-3E Banshee its prowess in melee combat. Indeed, the only parts still distinguishable as being from the original Banshees used in the Freelancer project are the legs and head. Even the total mass of the unit was altered several months into the redesign project, with the structure of the chassis reinforced to support an additional 5 tons of mass due to the apparent lack of weapons space.

With the aim of cramming as many different technologies onto one chassis being the design team's main design goal, the Freelancer's weapon armament would definately stike anyone as odd. The machine's right arm accomodates a massive Gauss Rifle, along with two tons of ammunition. Opposing the Gauss Rifle, on the Battlemech's left arm, a LB-X 10 Autocannon's muzzle replaces the left hand with an ammo feed for the twenty bursts of ammunition coming from the upper arm. The original Banshee's left torso autocannon has been replaced with an Ultra Autocannon 5 and the right torso PPC has been upgraded to an extended-range particle cannon. Alongside the ER PPC in the machine's right torso the Freelancer carries a LRM-5 rack, slaved to an Artemis IV fire-control system. The center torso mounts a single Medium Pulse Laser and two Streak SRM launch tubes, arranged in inverted triangular pattern. Finally, replacing the original Banshee's Small Laser in the head is an Anti-Missile System. Both side torsos are equipped with CASE protection for the ammunition bins. Although such protection would be not required on a weapons testing platform, it was neccessary to work out the jamming problems early attempts at copying the technology have suffered from. An ECM suit sitting in the machine's left torso rounds out the equipment list on the Freelancer. To dissipate some of the heat used by the diverse weapons array, the Freelancer carries 10 double-strength heatsinks.

With 15 tons of armor, the Freelancer is every-bit as well armored as the original Banshee was, and although it provides the design with good protection is it far below par when measured against the newer designs in current manufacture in the Freelancer's weight class.

==Battle History:==
The Freelancer has not participated in any real combat, although it was a design that had shown merit in mock combat situations. The diversity of its weapon systems meant that it could engage a wide array of threats effectively, including aerial threats, due to its "flak" autocannon in the flexible arm-mount.

With 8 of 9 Freelancers still on active service, one of them is bound to engage in real combat sooner or later.

==Variants:==
As a prototype design, the FR-17 Freelancer has no variants, but almost each of the 9 converted Banshees was different to some degree. The weapons loadout outlined here was the one applied to the first 4 conversions. The remaining five carried slightly different weapon loadouts to further test different technologies.

The FR-17A Freelancer conversion run took two Banshees and replaced the Guardian ECM suite with an Active Probe.

The FR-17B conversion departed further away from the design of the FR-17 be replacing the ER PPC with an ER Large Laser, dropping the Streak SRM-2 rack and Medium Pulse Laser, as well as sacrificing the Guardian ECM in order to mount a Large Pulse Laser in the center torso. In place of the Streak SRM-2 ammunition bin, the design mounts a TAG unit. The FR-17B was a unique Battlemech.

The FR-17C design tested the manufacturing process for Ferro-Fibrous armor. To accomodate the increased bulk of the armor, it looked very little like the other Freelancers. Lacking an extra-light engine, it carried a single Gauss Rifle of each arm, as well as upgrading the PPC into an ER version and replacing the Autocannon 5 with an Ultra version. This version carried the original Magna Mark I Small Laser in the head. There were two FR-17Cs built.

==Deployment==
Although not destined for front-line use, keeping the Freelancer as a musem-piece was not something the Taurian Concordant was able to afford. When weapons and systems testing was finished, the new prototypes were shipped back to the units where the original Banshees originated from.

Only a single FR-17 was kept for additional testing purposes and it was modified many more times as more and newer technological advances became possible.

--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model: Freelancer FR-17
Mass: 100 tons

Equipment: Crits Mass
Int. Struct.: 152 pts Standard 0 10.00
Engine: 300 XL 12 9.50
Walking MP: 3
Running MP: 5
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: 10 Double [20] 0 .00
Gyro: 4 3.00
Cockpit, Life Supt., Sensors: 5 3.00
Actuators: L: Sh+UA+LA R: Sh+UA+LA 14 .00
Armor Factor: 240 pts Standard 0 15.00

Internal Armor
Structure Value
Head: 3 9
Center Torso: 31 40
Center Torso (Rear): 17
L/R Side Torso: 21 30/30
L/R Side Torso (Rear): 10/10
L/R Arm: 17 21/21
L/R Leg: 21 26/26

Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Crits Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Gauss Rifle RA 1 16 9 17.00
(Ammo Locations: 2 RA)
1 LB 10-X AC LA 2 20 8 13.00
(Ammo Locations: 2 LA)
1 ER PPC RT 15 3 7.00
1 LRM 5 w/ Artemis IV RT 2 24 3 4.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 RT)
1 Ultra AC/5 LT 1 20 6 10.00
(Ammo Locations: 1 LT)
1 Guardian ECM LT 0 2 1.50
1 Medium Pulse Laser CT 4 1 2.00
1 Streak SRM 2 CT 2 50 2 2.50
(Ammo Locations: 1 RT)
1 Anti-Missile System HD 1 12 2 1.50
(Ammo Locations: 1 RT)
CASE Equipment: LT RT 2 1.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 29 73 100.00
Crits & Tons Left: 5 .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 23,788,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 1,629
Cost per BV: 14,602.82
Weapon Value: 2,302 / 2,251 (Ratio = 1.41 / 1.38)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 32; MRDmg = 29; LRDmg = 17
BattleForce2: MP: 3, Armor/Structure: 6/4
Damage PB/M/L: 5/4/3, Overheat: 2
Class: MA; Point Value: 16
Specials: ecm
-Lt. Lev (Res. Inf.) "Dire Wolf" Arris, IDF.

"What is it like fighting the Wolf ? Imagine a lightning with legs, an earthquake with arms, a catastrophe with genius or just pure hell on wheels".
Auren_Shiro
01/06/06 03:17 PM
24.34.100.170

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Hey, wasn't this thing on the CBT boards?
Need...more...Nevcrack...
KamikazeJohnson
01/06/06 03:48 PM
205.200.6.170

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Nice...good mix of different types of weaponry.

I'd personally prefer a little more close-range punch (maybe trade in the UAC/5), but then, I use AC/2s and Small Lasers, so what do I know?
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.
--Thomas Jefferson
DireWolf
01/06/06 05:29 PM
83.130.119.102

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Yep. It was and still is. So is my Reef Class.

I post here, but as these boards aren't too active, I also post on CBT.
-Lt. Lev (Res. Inf.) "Dire Wolf" Arris, IDF.

"What is it like fighting the Wolf ? Imagine a lightning with legs, an earthquake with arms, a catastrophe with genius or just pure hell on wheels".
McDookie
01/21/06 08:25 AM
85.166.141.16

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damn good work man i would keep it the way it is. great payload i would buy that mech for a little over 150
KamikazeJohnson
01/21/06 11:18 AM
205.200.6.170

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Something tells me I designed something almost identical to this way back...I'll have to dig it up to compare.

Great minds think alike, and fools seldom differ
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.
--Thomas Jefferson
Karagin
11/20/06 12:03 AM
70.123.166.36

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Nice fluff.
Karagin

Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
JackGarrity
11/20/06 04:48 AM
71.207.203.207

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mommy .. this gets two Dudes. o.O i love eet and its using a banshee which rocks.
Greetings Mechwarrior.
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