An XTRO-style design, the concept was influenced by the artwork for the Fa Shih and Sylph, both of which have a pair of large back-mounted pods, for mine dispensers and VTOL thrusters respectively. Adding that observation to the fact that the Inner Sphere has yet to successfully mimic the Clan VTOL system - even though they can build jump capable suits that technically have higher thrust-weight ratios than are necessary for a VTOL suit to fly - suggested that a mixed tech design niche was available, which in turn demanded that the suit be experimental.
The suit is deliberately underweight, partly to account for the extra 20kg that would be needed if it was fitted with a Sylph's thrusters as described in the fluff, but also to enhance the feel of an early stage prototype that is still only capable of sub-standard performance. The armament was chosen to be lightweight with a degree of actually usability, plus a nod towards the Fa Shih chassis the suit is based upon.
Classic BattleTech Battle Armor Technical Readout
* CUSTOM EQUIPMENT
Type/Model: Bian Fu
Tech/Era: Mixed Tech / 3067 / CBT Rules
Chassis Type: Humanoid
Weight Class: Medium Battle Armor (751 - 1,000 kg)
Rules: Level 3, Custom design
Ground Speed: 10.8 km/h
VTOL Speed: 32.4 km/h
Armor Type: Standard
==Overview:==
Based upon the Fa Shih, the Bian Fu is an experimental
project to develop VTOL Battle Armor. What price the Capellan
Confederation paid Clan Diamond Sharks for samples of the Sylph
suit is unknown, but given the string of problems that they've
encountered they would have been wiser to have also bought
technical assistance.
Attempts to construct reliable VTOL thrusters have so far
been unsuccessful, resulting in three test pilot deaths and
various injuries after catastrophic failures ranging from engine
shutdown at altitude to a thruster shedding fan blades into the
suit's body, ripping the unfortunate operator apart. Numerous
other faults have forced the project engineers to proceed using
the purchased Clan systems, while hoping that one day they can be
duplicated using Inner Sphere technology.
The weaponry has been streamlined to save mass, removing the
mine dispensers and adding a fixed light machine gun in lieu of
the Fa Shih's modular weapon mount, with a fixed light TAG
replacing the anti-personnel mount. Simulator studies suggest that
a missile-based armament may better suit a production model, but
this relies upon the VTOL flight systems being fully developed and
improved, in particular increasing speed.
From a distance, the Bian Fu's VTOL pods appear similar to
the mine dispensers fitted to the standard Fa Shih, allowing the
possibility of maskirovka on the battlefield, having Bian Fu units
hide among formations of the older design before launching into
the air to conduct surprise attacks.
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Type/Model: Bian Fu
Equipment: Slots Mass
Chassis Type: Medium Class Humanoid 0 175
Motive System: Ground Movement (1 MP) (Clan) 0 0
VTOL Equipment (3 MP) 0 180
Armor Type: 7 Points Standard 0 350
Manipulators:
Left Arm: Basic Manipulator 0 0
Right Arm: Basic Manipulator 0 0
Weapons and Equipment Loc Shots Slots Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------
Light Machine Gun(IS)* RA 50 1 75
Light TAG(IS) LA 60 1 35
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TOTALS: 2 815
Slots & Mass Left: 8 185
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 525,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 26 (104 for 4) Weapon Value: 10 (Ratio=.38)
Cost per BV: 20,211.54
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 1 MRDmg = 0 LRDmg = 0
Mechanized: Can travel on OmniMechs and OmniVehicles
Attacks: Can perform Swarm and Leg attacks
BattleForce2: Class: IB MP: 3V Armor/Structure: 2 / 0
Damage PB/M/L: -/-/- Overheat: 0
Point Value: 1 Specials: mec, tag, car4
Created by HeavyMetal Battle Armor
