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S. L. Lewis Incorporated

S. L. Lewis Incorporated
S.L Lewis.jpg
Corporation Profile
Founding Yearca. 3017[1]
AffiliationLyran Commonwealth
HeadquartersTrumbull (Carlisle III)[1]
LeadershipCEO
Product(s)Vehicles

S. L. Lewis Incorporated was the manufacturer of the popular Savannah Master hovercraft.

Overview[edit]

The company was founded in or shortly after 3017 by Warrant Officer Samuel Laurence Lewis. Lewis was serving aboard the Merchant-class JumpShip Winnetka when it chanced upon an abandoned Star League supply cache out in the Periphery. Dumping their original cargo of Botany Bay Industrial Sand, the crew loaded up on as much Lostech as could be carried and agreed to split the salvage amongst themselves. For his portion, Lewis claimed more than 2,000 Omni 25 fusion engines, purported to be the most efficient ever made. Rather than sell them off and retire rich, Lewis decided to hold on to the tiny engines. With news that the Lyran Commonwealth was looking to procure a new combat vehicle for reconnaissance work, Samuel Lewis incorporated himself and spent the next few years perfecting a new scout hovercraft for the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. The final result, christened the Savannah Master, became a popular design with both the LCAF and the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.[1][2]

The supply of 2,000 Omni 25 fusion engines Samuel Lewis had recovered from the LosTech cache wasn't enough to meet the demand for vehicles generated by the Fourth Succession War, and in 3035 Lewis sought interest from fusion engine manufacturers across the Commonwealth willing to attempt to reverse engineer the Omni 25. Lewis gave away the last ten Omni 25 engines he owned to help drive interest in this project, and in 3037 Edasich Motors had been able to produce a new production-standard compatible engine, the Edasich Omni 25. The S. L. Lewis Inc. lines were retooled to accept the Edasich Omni 25, and full vehicle production recommenced. As a result, S. L. Lewis would sell thousands of vehicles between 3037 and the end of the FedCom Civil War.[3]

With the popularity of the Savannah Master line, S. L. Lewis Inc. expanded its facilities into engine production to ensure a steady supply of engines. They also expanded into the civilian market, producing hovercraft and hydrofoils powered by Omni 25s for commercial and recreational use.[1]

During the Jihad, the facility on Carlisle suffered no losses of capital and personnel, and has a full production volume of 100% in 3079.[4]

Manufacturing[edit]

S. L. Lewis Incorporated has a manufacturing center on the following planet:

Carlisle[edit]

Components produced on Carlisle:[5][6][3][7]
Component Type
Vehicles
Heavy Hover APC[7] Hovercraft
Savannah Master[5][6][3][7] Hovercraft
Lewis Skimmer Bus[8][9] Hover Support Vehicle
Slipper Hovercar[10] Hover Support Vehicle
Fusion Engine
Omni 25 (obtained from salvage until 3035, then discontinued)[3] Savannah Master[5][6][3]
Edasich Omni 25 (imported from Edasich Motors after 3037)[3] Savannah Master[5][6][3]
Armor (BattleMechs & Combat Vehicles)
Durallex Light Savannah Master[5][6][3]
Communications System
TharHes Hm 10 (imported from TharHes Industries of Tharkad) Savannah Master[6][3]
Targeting-Tracking System
TharHes Alpha-2a (imported from TharHes Industries of Tharkad) Savannah Master[6][3]
Medium Laser
Defiance B3M (imported) Savannah Master[3]

Notes[edit]

The names of Samuel Lewis and the S. L. Lewis corporation are apparently in reference to Sam Lewis, whose first BattleTech project at FASA was the Technical Readout: 3026, for which he created the Savannah Master hovercraft.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 146: "S. L. Lewis Incorporated (SLewInc)"
  2. Technical Readout: 3025, p. 6
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Technical Readout: 3039, p. 10: "Produced Savannah Master Components"
  4. Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 3: "State of the Industry at a Glance (Dec 3079)"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Objective Raids, p. 79: "Produced S.L Lewis Incorporated Components"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Technical Readout: 3026 Revised, p. 10: "Produced Savannah Master Components"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 7: "Produced Components on Carlisle"
  8. Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex, p. 54: "Routemaster Hover Shuttle/Lewis Skimmer Bus"
  9. Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex Revised, p. 64: "Routemaster Hover Shuttle/Lewis Skimmer Bus"
  10. Technical Readout: Vehicle Annex, pp. 64–65: "S. L. Lewis Incorp's civilian line of hovercars"

Bibliography[edit]