Dual Cockpit
Sarna News
A Dual Cockpit is a non-standard cockpit layout for BattleMechs that splits 'Mech operation between two people, a pilot and a gunner. (It should not be mixed up with the Command Console, which provides two complete sets of controls for two people.)
The Dual Cockpit weigths 4 tons (i.e. 1 ton more than a regular cockpit) and costs approximately 200,000 C-bills.
'Mechs known to mount a Dual Cockpit include the RVN-1XL DC Raven variant; the Battlemaster operated by the Red Corsair (in the novel Natural Selection) was also expressly described to feature a Dual Cockpit.
Associated Rules
In game terms, the Dual Cockpit occupies two critical hit slots: Besides the standard cockpit slot (slot #3 in the head hit location), which houses the pilot, it also occupies slot #4 there to house the gunner.
For the purpose of determining Battle Value, a Dual Cockpit counts for four times the tonnage of the 'Mech it is installed in.