Yellow Jacket
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Yellow Jacket Gunship | |
Production information | |
Manufacturer | Michaelson Heavy Industries |
Production Year | 3058[1] |
Mission | Assault |
Type | VTOL |
Cost | 1,120,000 C-bills |
Technical specifications | |
Mass | 30 tons |
Armor | StarSlab/3 |
Engine | Michaelson-Omni 40 Internal Combustion |
Speed | 97.2 km/h |
Crew | 1 |
Communications System | Garret Supremesound |
Targeting Tracking System | Garret D2j |
Heat Sinks | None |
Armament |
1x Gauss rifle |
BV (1.0) | 1,110[2][3] |
BV (2.0) | 782[4][5] |
Contents
Description[edit]
One of numerous VTOL designs produced by Michaelson Heavy Industries in response to the Clan threat, the Yellow Jacket Gunship provides one of the most mobile fire-support platforms in existence. Though it carries only one weapon, the Yellow Jacket is capable of sustained fire at long ranges, which makes a lance of these helicopters one of the most lethal forces an enemy can face. Field testing in the Chaos March sparked the interest of the Federated Commonwealth and Lyran Alliance who were quickly sold on the design's effectiveness against Clan and Inner Sphere enemies.[6][4]
Though not as fast as most VTOLs, the Yellow Jacket still has greater speed than most BattleMechs and OmniMechs. The Gauss rifle's long range combined with the Yellow Jacket's respectable speed keep the vehicle relatively safe, as does its heavy armor. While a single shot can destroy the rotor, like the Cavalry VTOL, the Yellow Jacket can take a direct hit to its nose from a Clan ER PPC and keep flying.[6][4]
Weapons and Equipment[edit]
The Yellow Jacket is built around the Poland Main Model C Gauss rifle. This massive weapon, which constitutes the bulk of the craft's weight, can hurl rounds at speeds up to Mach 2.2. The Yellow Jacket's two tons of ammunition allow it to remain on the field for extended sorties, wreaking havoc on enemy lines.[6][4]
Variants[edit]
- PPC
- This Jihad variant added a light fusion engine to push up the speed to 151 km/h, the Gauss Rifle is replaced with an ER PPC, and it is equipped with a C3 System to make the ER PPC more accurate. Protection is upgraded slightly by switching to Heavy Ferro-Fibrous Armor.[11] BV (2.0) = 582[12]
- RAC
- A recent variant, Michaelson replaced the Gauss Rifle with a Mydron Tornado Rotary AC/5 mated to a Targeting Computer, carrying two tons of ammo protected by CASE with enough weight left over to add an additional one and half tons of armor plate. BV (1.0) = 1,024[13], BV (2.0) = 797[14]
Related Vehicles[edit]
Hawk Moth - Developed by Michaelson Heavy Industries two years later, replaces the Gauss Rifle with a Light Gauss Rifle and is lighter and faster.
Notes[edit]
- In German products, the unit's proper name was altered to Stechinsekt, which roughly translates to Stinging Insect. This was presumably done because German doesn't have a common expression for yellowjackets.
- Unpublished but vetted errata for RS:3085u-ONN confirms the PPC variant's speed is increased to 9/14 (151 km/h) and notes the armor as heavy ferro-fibrous.
Gallery[edit]
Original Yellow Jacket Gunboat from Chaos March
Yellow Jacket from TRO:3058
Yellow Jacket in combat from CCG
References[edit]
- ↑ MUL online date for the Yellow Jacket
- ↑ Combat Operations, p. 121
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 88
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Technical Readout: 3058 Upgrade, pp. 74-75, "Yellow Jacket VTOL Profile"
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 62
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Technical Readout: 3058, pp. 30-31, "Yellow Jacket VTOL Profile"
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 89
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 61
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 89
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 63
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3085, p. 190, "Old is the New New" - Yellow Jacket
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3085 Unabridged — Old is the New New, p. 29
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades, p. 90
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Inner Sphere), p. 64