Karnov VSTOL Transport 3058 variant

[Morgan Blake]

          BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
                      VALIDATED

Type/Model:    Karnov UR Transport (3058 Upgrade)
Tech:          Inner Sphere / 3050
Config:        V.T.O.L.
Rules:         Level 2, Standard design

Mass:          30 tons
Power Plant:   160 DAV I.C.E.
Cruise Speed:  108.0 km/h
Maximum Speed: 162.0 km/h
Armor Type:    Lexington Limited High Grade Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:      
  2 Scatter Gun Light Machine Guns
Manufacturer:  New Earth Trading Company
  Location:    New Earth
Communications System:  Johnston Q-Rotor 2
Targeting & Tracking System:  None (manual gunners)

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==Overview:==
     The Karnov tilt-rotor design has been in service for hundreds of years.
In 2920, New Earth Trading Company (NETC) began distributing the Karnov to the
Inner Sphere, though they received their entire supply of these vehicles from
ComStar. When ComStar revealed the existence of the Com Guard in the early
3030s, they took that opportunity to requisition more of the VTOL units for
their own troops. NETC responded to this reduced inventory by building its own
manufacturing plant, which came online in late 3043. These facilities brought
the availability of the Karnov back to pre-3030 levels. The battle with the
Clans on Tukayyid forced the Com Guard to devote all its resources to
rebuilding, and ComStar abandoned its arrangement with NETC. Forced to rely
solely on their new plant for production, NETC turned this potential setback
into an advantage by setting a design team to work creating customized Karnov
units. The most exciting version to date incorporates recovered technology.

==Capabilities:==
     The upgraded Karnov is somewhat slower than the original design. NETC
reduced the power plant to a DAV 160, accepting a slight reduction in
performance to create room for increased defenses and cargo capacity.
     Other than upgrading the vehicle's armor, NETC 's most important
defensive alteration to the Karnov was the addition of ScatterGun light
machine guns on either side of the unit. Manned by single gunners firing
without electronic aids, the machine guns serve to defend a vehicle loading or
unloading in a combat zone. This innovation offers a welcome change to relying
on the protection of friendly forces operating in the area and has greatly
reduced the number of Karnovs lost to enemy infantry. The largely unprotected
rotors still represent the vehicle's most vulnerable area.
     The addition of universal hard points to the enlarged cargo bay allows
the bay to be reconfigured for a wide range of cargo, including conventional
or power armored infantry and light vehicles.

==Deployment==
     The upgraded Karnov first became available in 3055, seeing action that
year in a number of units. The 23rd Arcturan Guards produced the most notable
action in a raid against Sudeten. Hauptmann-General Killson used a number of
Karnovs in an operation to drop small teams of infantry behind Clan lines;
units assigned to perform sabotage and cause general disruption. After these
small-unit actions destroyed a Star of the Eighth Falcon Regulars, Star
Colonel Ravill Pryde ordered the Inner Sphere teams hunted down. The Karnovs
went back into action, successfully retrieving nearly a third of the troops
from the rendezvous points. Now wary of the declared "non-combatant" status of
the Karnov, the Jade Falcons attacked a number of the vehicles as they
attempted to land, destroying eight of the seventeen Karnov UR transports
assigned to the Guards.

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Type/Model:    Karnov UR Transport (3058 Upgrade)
Mass:          30 tons

Equipment:                                 Items    Mass
Int. Struct.:  15 pts Standard               0      3.00
Engine:        160 I.C.E.                    0     12.00
    Cruise MP:  10
     Flank MP:  15
Heat Sinks:      0 Single                    0       .00
Cockpit & Controls:                          0      1.50
Crew: 2 Members                              0       .00
Rotor Equipment:  Main/Tail Rotors           0      3.00
Armor Factor:   27 pts Ferro-Fibrous         2      1.50

                          Internal    Armor
                          Structure   Value
   Front:                     3          7 
   Left / Right Sides:        3        6/6 
   Rear:                      3          6 
   Rotor:                     3          2 

Weapons and Equipment    Loc  Heat  Ammo   Items    Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Machine Gun            Left     0  200     2      1.50
1 Machine Gun            Right    0          1       .50
Cargo Bay Capacity       Body                1      7.00
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TOTALS:                           0          6     30.00
Items & Tons Left:                           5       .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        572,000 C-Bills
Battle Value:      70