This model of hovercraft is an older one, dating back to the early 21st century. Although it is rarely utilized by Desert Star's military, it is commonly sold to mercenaries, from both the plant itself in
Desert Star, and the S-Mart Outlet's vehicle lot in Wa-Daisho. It is primarily designed to carry vehicles over water for short distances,
but seconds wonderfully as a larger troop transport, in either case the cargo is always loaded from the rear, via side by side gates that second as ramps. Keep in mind this is a true hovercraft, needing to depend on a cushion of air held by a rubber skirt around the base of the hovercraft, meaning it cannot exceed the height of it's skirt (5') in altitude, and obstacles which may damage the skirt, (such as tank baricades or trees), must be avoided. Also, inclines of 45 degrees or higher is too great of an incline for this craft to take for more than a few hundred feet. Even with these shortcomings, it has it's advantages, as is impervious to even anti-personel mines, as well as undersea mines! (It's combined weight riding on the air cushion is not heavy enough to detonate underground mines, and undersea mines require actual contact with the mine to detonate them.)
Class: Naval Military Hovercraft Type: NMH-1 Crew: 4; A pilot, Copilot, Communications Officer, and a gunner. The pilot and Copilot sit side by side behind the windscreen, the gunner sits on a raised seat behind the pilots, with a domed canopy for his viewport. The communications officer sits behind the gunner, and facing the port wall, where he operates the military radio and scrambler. MDC by Location:
Twin Propellers(2)-120 each
Crew Cabin-150
Rear Gates/Ramps(2)-75 each
Main Body-250 Performance: Maximum Speed: 180mph Maximum Altitude: 5' Maximum Effective Range: Unlimited; These units are always Nuclear Powered. Statistical Data: Height: 15' Width: 25' Length: 40' Weight: 50 tons Cargo Capacity: 25 tons; The cargo bay is only 20' wide, and 25' long. The cargo bay is not covered normally, but can be covered by a light mesh canvas-like cover held by light metal beams that provides a 10' clearance. It can also be used as troop carrier for 25 troops and their equipment, or 12 power armor troops (providing they are less than 8' in height)
Power System: Nuclear 20 year life.
Market Cost: 30.5 million credits. Weapons
1.) Rapid Fire Field Cannon RFFC-17: The Firecracker's primary weapon is this archaic RFFC. It's damage is that of a tanks secondary guns, which is really it's only defense against a heavily armed or armored foe. It is limited however to about a 120 degree range of fire, as it's computerized pintle design prevents any further movement. It is operated by the gunner, via computer control. Primary Purpose: Assault Secondary Purpose: Defense Mega-Damage: 2D4x10MD per dual shell blast. Maximum Effective Range: 2,000' Rate of Fire: Dual shell blasts only. Payload: 100 shells are carried; allowing 50 dual shell blasts. Strike Bonus: This unit integrates a painting laser into the targeting system. Bonus: +3 to strike.
2.)40mm Automatic Gernade Launchers(2): This is the ranged weaponary. These gernade launchers are mounted on the same
pintle mount as the RFFC-17, one on either side. They are primarily used to saturate enemy strongholds or beaches
that would require cover fire. Primary Purpose: Assault Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personel Mega-Damage: 4D6MD per High Explosive or Plasma; 5D6MD per MD White Phosphorous! (Known to S-Mart as Angelfire.) Effective Blast Radius: 6'+2' Radius for HE, 8'+2' Radius for Plasma, 20'+4' Radius for Angelfire. (+'s are per additional round fired so 8 HE Gernades would do 4D6x8MD to a 22' area!) Maximum Effective Range: 5,000' Rate of Fire: Usually from 2-5 shells per burst; but is capable of 10 shell bursts! Payload: 60 shells; usually are only equiped with one type of gernade.
3.)Hellfire Missle Pods(2): These missles give these assault craft some measure of defense against Armored foes. They are
mounted on either side of the vessel, in a teardrop shaped launcher. (Wide end first, of course.) Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fortification Mega-Damage: 2D6x10MD Effective Blast Radius: 15' Radius. Maximum Effective Range: 5 mi Payload: 4; 2 per launcher.
4.)Systems Note: The Firecracker comes standard with several systems not amidst the norm for vehicles of it's type. Those are;
1. Environmental Crew Compartment: Complete environmental control, temperature control, and radiation sheilding provided to the four man crew.
2. Fire Extinguishers: Several fire extinguishers are scattered around the vehicle for use by the crew, in the event that a fire were to break out.
3. Military Radio With Scrambler: This low frequency radio comes standard with a radio scrambler with 200 different
scramble codes, plus a jack that would allow for a computer programmer with a hand computer or headjack to
program in any number of thousands of possible scramble codes. Range: 500 mi, with 10mi directional capabilities.
4. Laser Rangefinder: This integral system automatically feeds the pilot, copilot, and gunner with accurate readings
up to the thousandth of an inch!!
5.) Autopilot: The advanced Autopilot system of the Firecracker permits the Pilot and Copilot to take periodic breaks
from driving! Naturally it will not follow a complex course but will usually only follow in a straight line, however if
the radar detects the targeting system of another unit, or other vehicle, it will automatically sound a claxon within
the crew cabin and begin to take evasive manuvers (zigzag actions), allowing the autopilot to dodge incoming
attacks at +3.
