Cygnus (BattleMech)

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This article is about the BattleMech. For other uses, see Cygnus (disambiguation).
Cygnus (BattleMech)
Cygnus
Production information
Manufacturer Transitional Facility HH-Beta[1]

WC Site 1[1]

Production Year 3075
Model (base)[1]
Class Assault
Cost 24,384,101 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Clan BattleMech
Mass 95 tons
Chassis Type BMH-7 Endo Steel
Armor Forged Type HH34 Standard
Engine GM 380 XL
Communications System CH6 Series Integrated
Targeting Tracking System Hunter (7a) Dedicated TTS with Targeting Computer
Heat Sinks 15 double
Speed 64 km/h
Armament
BV (1.0) ??
BV (2.0) 2,583[1][2]


Description

After Clan Hell's Horses invaded Clan Wolf's Inner Sphere territory, the Horses needed to rebuild from the losses they incurred. A surprising partnership with Clan Wolf-in-Exile led to the Cygnus, which entered service in 3075. Based on the Annihilator, the simple design of the Cygnus allows for fewer things to go wrong without losing its lethality. A possible reflection of this design philosophy is that the ammo feed tracks are situated outside of the hull feeding from shoulder bins, while this has not so far been proven to be a vulnerability the design may have been chosen to improve feed reliability. It is a BattleMech, rather than an OmniMech, the decision of a desperate Clan that needed to rebuild as quickly as possible.[3]

The Cygnus is swift for a 'Mech of its size, as its 380 engine makes it capable of 64 km/h, though that comes at an increased vulnerability due to the bulk of the XL engine. An Endo Steel chassis also saves weight.[3]

Weapons and Equipment

Most of the firepower on the Cygnus comes from its pair of Mydron Excel Ultra Autocannon/10s. The Clan engineers decided to use these to match the firepower of the Annihilator's four LB-X Autocannon/10s. They retained the four Medium Pulse Lasers, but upgraded them to Kolibri Omega Series models. The inclusion of a Targeting Computer makes all the weapons more accurate.[3]

Variants

  • Cygnus 2 
    Still on the drawing board in 3075, the Cygnus 2 replaces the autocannons, Targeting Computer, and four double heat sinks for a pair of HAG 40s. This change also requires swapping out the lasers for ER medium lasers. This gives the 'Mech some heat problems, but not to a severe extent.[1] BV (2.0)= 3,361[4][5]
  • Cygnus 3 
    Also utilizing HAG technology, this variant uses four HAG 20s. All the weapons, equipment, spare heat sinks, and even some armor is removed from the original version to make this possible.[1] This makes the design completely dependent on four ammo-fed weapons.[3] BV (2.0)= 2,569[6][7]

Design Quirks

The Cygnus has the following Design Quirks:[9]

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Technical Readout: Jihad, pp. 38–39: "Cygnus"
  2. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 275
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Technical Readout: 3075, p. 146
  4. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged, p. 130
  5. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 276
  6. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged, p. 131
  7. Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge, p. 277
  8. Record Sheets: 3145 New Tech, New Upgrades, p. 182
  9. BattleMech Manual, p. 90 Design Quirk Table - Cygnus Entry.

Bibliography