The S-Mart HT-1 "Zipper" or as it is known in Wa-Daisho, The Battlewagon Hovertank, is known for her awesome speed and versatility. Although officially rated as a tank, the Zipper makes a better high speed assault vehicle, as her armor does not permit slugging matches against other TRUE tanks. Since repair costs and arming costs are so great, forces that use the Zipper typically use hit and run techniques, for this very reason, with fair results.
Desert Star & Wa-Daisho both make extensive use of the "Zipper", because her speed and manuverability makes her an extremely valuable resource. S-Mart sells allot of the Zipper's to mercenary companys around the west coast and especially around the great lakes, which sincerely enrages Northern Gun & Wellington Industries.
The Zipper is yet another of the Pre-RIFT designs that S-Mart reproduces. Originally it was known as the US-H2A2 to the United States Army, and was equiped quite extensively among the US Border Patrol, UN Peacekeeping activities, and saw alot of combat in the early 2040s, in the Mexican-American wars.
The Zipper's profile is very unique in that it is a TRUE hovercraft that depends on an air cushion for propulsion, crossed with a world war two Sherman Tank. Their bodies are very streamlined with a heavy angle on the front hull leading back about seven feet. The turret is angled much like the Sherman tank of World War Two, accept it has a Missle Launcher on the left side of the turret.
Type: US-H2A2; S-Mart-HT-1 Class: Hover Tank Crew: 3; the Pilot, Gunner, and Tank Commander. M.D.C. by Location: (See the note below.)
Missle Pod-50
Main Turret-150
Rapid Fire Field Cannon-75
*Skirt(30 sections)-30 per section.
Main Body-300
Reinforced Pilots Compartment-100
* If more than four sections of the skirt are depleated the hovercraft's belly will begin dragging on
the ground. Maximum Speed is reduced by half, and to continue moving beyond this will damage the hovercraft beyond repair within 1D4 miles
of dragging. Making the hovercraft worthless beyond being that of a parts donor. Note: The HT-1 "Zipper" utilizes a Pre-RIFT armor covering called Reactive Armor, which protects the Zipper from shaped charge weapons; (ALL missles, Explosive Cannon Shells, etc.) Inflicting only 1/2 damage! The way this armor "functions" is that, it's made up of a series of hollow pannels with the interior lined with a layer of an explosive substance and when a missle or shape charged cannon shell strikes this protective armor, it detonates outward in response to the attack, thereby destroying the offending missle or shell!
Speed: Hover Speed: 200 mph Maximum Altitude: 5' Handling: To the suprise of many Hovercraft pilots, the Zipper is one of the best. This vehicle suprises everyone by utilizing cutting edge technologies, developed during the early 2020's, for racing hovercraft. It involves a series of three tilting fans mounted on the bottom of the Zipper giving it awesome manuverability. This means that the Zipper recieves no negatives when making difficult manuvers such as dodges or high speed turns. When rolls are missed however, reduce the vehicles speed by 30%, and if appropriate the vehicle crashes/slides into something, inflicting 1D4MD to the hovercraft per 10 mph of speed. Accelerated Leaping: The Zipper can leap up to 20' into the air from an incline. Maximum Effective Range: Unlimited; Thanks to the nuclear power supply. A Note Towards Range: All vehicles need some degree of maintenance, and a hovercraft is no
acception. The skirt along the bottom of the Zipper will tear and wear down from the constant
friction of it's contact against the various surfaces it comes in contact with. Generally, they absolutely
must be replaced or patched every two or three thousand miles, but it is recommended that the skirt
be completely replaced every 50,000 miles.
Statistical Data: Height: 10' Width: 15' Length: 25' Weight: 10 tons Cargo: The weapons locker has room for five rifles, two mini missle launchers, and enough other space to carry twenty mini missles, and twenty-five short clips. Power System: Nuclear; 20 year life. Market Cost: S-Mart sells the "Zipper" regularly to customers at a cost of 14 million credits. Repair sections for the skirt cost 800 credits per
section, bringing the MDC back up to the 30 count, patches only cost 10 credits, but are SDC
patches capable of being blasted away with even SDC firearms.
Weapon Systems
1.Rapid Fire Field Cannon-16(RFFC-16): This is the main weapon of the Battlewagon, although comparitively light compaired to other vehicle types, for a high speed Assault vehicle it is rather heavy. Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personel Mega-Damage: 2D6x10MD for dual shell bursts. Rate of Fire: Can only fire dual shell bursts. Maximum Effective Range: 3,000' Payload: 150 dual shell bursts.
2.Light Anti-Tank Guided Missle System (LATGMS): This two slot missle launcher is stabilized along the left side of the turret. It utilizes a form of Infrared guideance to be typically used to decimate or damage lightly armored vehicles, or for precision strikes against fortifications. Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor. Secondary Purpose: Anti-Installation. Mega-Damage: 2D6x10MD. Rate of Fire: 1 or 2 missles at a time. Maximum Effective Range: 3,000'. Payload: 2 missles; However 4 spare missles are stored inside the hull. (Note: These must be manually loaded, before firing.)
3.Light Torpedo Tubes(2): This weapon system is only found on the Wa-Daisho issued variants of the Zipper, due to Wa-Daisho's location. It allows the Zipper to second as border patrol around the harbor, and to assist the patrol boats that guard Wa-Daisho's territorial waters. Primary Purpose: Anti-Warship Secondary Purpose: Anti-Sea Monster Mega-Damage: 1D6x10MD per High Explosive Mini Torpedo Fired. Rate of Fire: Can fire one or two at a time from each launcher. Maximum Effective Range: 5 miles Payload: 12; 6 per launcher.
4.Additional Systems of Note:
-Military Radio: 500 mile range.
-Radar Rangefinder: +2 to strike at ranges exceeding 1,000'.
-Military Radar: 50 mile range; Track up to 100 targets.
-Sonar: 5 mile range; Includes both passive & active types.
-Auto Pilot & Navigational Computer.
-Military Radar Detector.
-Passive Infrared Display: 2,000' range.
-Thermograph: 2,000' range; can see through walls at 30'.
-Environmental Systems: 4 hour life support.
-Ejection Seats: One for each member of the crew
