Retry
04/02/18 03:41 PM
64.189.130.11
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Tucano Trainer LAM TUC-1T
Base Tech Level: Experimental (IS)
Level Era
Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Extinct 3145+
Tech Rating: E/X-X-F-F
Weight: 10 tons
BV: 126
Cost: 762,043 C-bills
Movement: 4/6/4
AirMech: 2/3/12/18
Fighter: 4/6
Engine: 40
BAR Rating : 5
Heat Sinks: 10
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 19 (Composite)
Armor: 36/41 Commercial
Internal Armor
Head 3 4
Center Torso 4 6
Center Torso (rear) 2
Right Torso 3 5
Right Torso (rear) 1
Left Torso 3 5
Left Torso (rear) 1
Right Arm 1 2
Left Arm 1 2
Right Leg 2 4
Left Leg 2 4
Quirks:
Easy to Maintain
Easy to Pilot
Rumble Seat
Compact Mech
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Super Tucano Advanced Trainer S-TUC-1T
Base Tech Level: Experimental (IS)
Level Era
Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Extinct 3145+
Tech Rating: E/X-X-F-F
Weight: 15 tons
BV: 449
Cost: 1,021,085 C-bills
Movement: 5/8/5
AirMech: 2/3/15/23
Fighter: 5/8
Engine: 75
Heat Sinks: 10
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 26
Armor: 48/55
Internal Armor
Head 3 6
Center Torso 5 8
Center Torso (rear) 2
Right Torso 4 5
Right Torso (rear) 2
Left Torso 4 5
Left Torso (rear) 2
Right Arm 2 4
Left Arm 2 4
Right Leg 3 5
Left Leg 3 5
Weapons Loc Heat
Medium Laser RT 3
Quirks:
Easy to Maintain
Easy to Pilot
Rumble Seat
Variants:
COIN (rumored): 1x MG w/ .5ton ammo
Civillian: 1T Liquid Storage (for fuel)
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The Tucano & Super Tucano are the standard LAM trainers of the Inner Sphere.
The currently-named Super Tucano is the original 15 ton ultralight advanced trainer, designed to be as cheap and easy produce. The design was manufactured by Allied Aerospace Industries as the "Tucano" after the failure of the Shadow hawk LAM in order to keep the company afloat, and was marketed to buyers of the Stinger LAM & Wasp LAM.
The design is minimalist, which allowed for Allied Aerospace to get it off the drawing board and into the factories quite quickly and with minimal hiccups. Not intended for actual combat, its armor is sufficient only to protect from basic wear and tear, and the only weaponry is a single medium laser that's intended for little more than target practice while in Mech mode, Aerospace mode, or AirMech mode. At half the price of a Stinger LAM & a quarter of the price of the later Phoenix Hawk LAM, the vehicle is quite an affordable way to acclimate new LAM pilots to the peculiarities of LAMs.
In fact, Allied Aerospace heavily overestimated the demand and potential of LAMs. According to some sources, AA ended up building more of these Advanced Trainers than there were actual combat LAMs ever built in the entire inner sphere.
As LAMs became rarer, the need for advanced trainers also waned. During the succession wars, most of these advanced trainers became either museum pieces or improvised normal battlemech or aerospace trainers by disabling the conversion gear.
Since they were armed, some were even put to use in the field in desperation even with non-LAM qualified pilots, with catastrophic results. The Tucano was usually slaughtered en masse by even the lightest battlemechs, including the common locust. On occassion, a non-LAM qualified Battlemech pilot would accidentally activate the conversion gear, converting the LAM to airmech or aerospace mode in which the pilot would usually crash in seconds.
There are rumors that some of these advanced trainers were refit with a machinegun and used deep in the outskirts of the periphery as COIN and security vehicles by IS operatives, even including LAM-trained pilots. This, however, remains unconfirmed.
The WoB, during their LAM craze, revived the trainer concept with an even lighter version of the advanced trainer, originally named the "Mini Tucano". The 10 tonner was slower and lacked any armament for gunnery training purposes at all, but it was only 75% of the cost of the 15 tonner, even easier to transport and maintain, and was sufficient for simply training new LAM pilots with the basics of piloting this exotic vehicle. Similarly to the original 15 ton Tucano episode, the WoB had intended to drastically expand its LAM capacities and thus built a ton of these Mini Tucanos to the point that they ended up building more of these basic trainers than the entire Spectral-Series LAMs.
After a while, the designation of the 10 ton vehicle was simply renamed the Tucano, and the 15 tonner was renamed the Super Tucano.
After the fall of the WoB the fate of these new Tucanos was similar to the Super Tucano. The Tucano was relegated as museum pieces, or basic trainers for either Aerospace or Battlemech pilots with the conversion gear disabled. Due to its low cost and lack of armament, some found their way into the private collections of wealthy Spheroids, with some half-dozen particularly skilled mechwarrior veterans cross-training to qualify for operating aircraft so they can take their privately own Tucanos on joy rides.
All in all, the Tucano and Super Tucano are some of the last remnants of a bygone era, scattered in significant numbers across the universe as a reminder of what was, and perhaps an inspiration to the overactive imagination of what could be. If the LAM ever sees yet another resurgence, one thing is certain: The Tucanos will play a significant part once more.
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AmaroqStarwind
04/02/18 04:05 PM
174.235.15.250
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Seeing these makes me happy.
Many people think LAMs are completely useless, but it mostly boils down to two main problems:
- Bad Engineers: They always use existing mechs as their design templates, rather than designing them from the ground up (which would be the smartest thing). If somebody wants to convert an existing BattleMech to an LAM, they should try the Cougar, the Raven, the Razorback, or the Shadow Cat, non-humanoid mechs which are already kinda plane-like.
- Bad Pilots: Everyone who plays LAMs seems to try using the same tactics that conventional BattleMechs or conventional Aerospace Fighters are suited for. These are not the sorts of tactics LAMs excel at, they are much more useful for high-speed hit and run, long range support, scouting operations, and flanking maneuvers.
By designing Trainer LAMs from the ground up, we might actually see more viable LAM designs start popping up as a result.
Meanwhile, seeing some battle records of successful LAM-centric tactics would also increase their widespread adoption among players.
And in-universe, the use of Trainer LAMs means that more pilots will actually be able to use them effectively. Combined with training simulators, it might even lead to existing MechWarriors and Aerojocks trying to adopt LAMs too.
I have to admit, though, it kind of doesn't help that the current construction rules and the out-of-universe legal stuff constantly hinder LAM design; people are going to have to get VERY creative to use these effectively.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
MechEngine (Alpha) -- On Hiatus
The Scientist Caste has determined that time travel is dishonorable. |
Maurer
04/02/18 10:24 PM
45.48.53.140
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Quote:
On occassion, a non-LAM qualified Battlemech pilot would accidentally activate the conversion gear, converting the LAM to airmech or aerospace mode in which the pilot would usually crash in seconds.
"Alright rookie," the gunnery sergeant blares over the intercom. "I am your instructor and will be teaching you the ins and out of your new LAM - Land, Air, Mech. Assuming you haven't been sleeping in class, that means your mech can walk, and fly...."
The LAM's arms and legs fold into itself before hitting the ground with a mighty crash as it converts into fighter mode. The gunnery sergeant's sigh of disappointment is heard over the radio. "Congratulations rookie, you just failed with flying colors. It seems you did sleep through your instruction class."
"Captain! We're completely surrounded on all sides." - Kiff, Futurama
..."Excellent, then we may attack in any direction." - Zapp Brannigan, Futurama
"A fool fights a war on two fronts; only an idiot defends on one." - Fusilier
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AmaroqStarwind
04/02/18 10:29 PM
99.203.27.104
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In the original Macross, from which FASA got the idea for LAMs, the Valkyrie fighters actually had a safety feature where they wouldn't switch into Fighter mode unless they detected that they were already airborne, and they were also designed to be able to safely transform into hybrid mode while on the ground, running or stationary.
Discord: Amaroq the Kitsune#1092
Telegram: @Lycanphoenix
MechEngine (Alpha) -- On Hiatus
The Scientist Caste has determined that time travel is dishonorable. |
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