Playing around with MML's support vehicle designer I'm finding something interesting remaking VTOLs using support fuel cells.
Most striking is the Warrior. We can get the speed back up to 10/15. That could be done on a combat vehicle by going to 24 tons, but that increased the price. Here the weight goes up to 28 tons, but the price goes down from 570,350 to 526,108 C-bills. We're also able to fit a larger fuel tank to offset the less fuel efficient fuel cell and make 1333 kilometers of range (compared to the standard 1000 km for ICE combat vehicles). Side armor is up by a point. BAR is down to 6, but the thickest facing is 6 points so that doesn't make any difference. And the munchiest part is that the BV is still 295. It looks like the lower BAR is cancelling the higher speed even though the BAR doesn't actually matter since it equals the thickest armor facing.
Warrior H-7 Support
Mass: 28 tons
Movement Type: VTOL
Power Plant: Fuel Cell
Cruising Speed: 108 kph
Maximum Speed: 162 kph
Armor: BAR 6
Armament:
1 SRM 4
1 AC/2
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3025
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-E-D-D
Cost: 526,108 C-bills
Type: Warrior
Chassis Type: VTOL (Medium)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Mass: 28 tons
Battle Value: 295
Equipment Mass (tons)
Chassis/Controls 8.0
Engine/Trans. 7.5
Cruise MP:10
Flank MP:15
Heat Sinks 0 0.0
Fuel 1.5
Armor Factor (BAR 6) 26 1.0
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front 3 6
R/L Side 3/3 6/6
Rear 3 6
Rotor 3 2
Weapons
and Ammo Location Tonnage
SRM 4 Front 2.0
AC/2 Front 6.0
AC/2 Ammo (45) Body 1.0
SRM 4 Ammo (25) Body 1.0
Cargo
None
Notes:
Advanced Fire Control(1 ton)
This seems to work for any ICE combat VTOL with light enough armor that the low BAR armor allowed on support vehicles is acceptable. Most of them won't gain speed, but the cost in both C-bills and BV goes down slightly (or in some cases the C-bill price goes down rather more than slightly) and the weight goes up slightly. It seems to sometimes work on fusion VTOLs like the Karnov AC that don't use the free heatsinks support vehicles don't get.
The Ferret and Marten of the stuff I've poked are exceptions. I can make them come out cheaper in C-bills, but not in BV. I think they're adding too much weight or armor (the Ferret goes from 1.6 points average of BAR 10 to 2 points average of BAR 2 and the Marten goes up 5 full tons to get enough max armor and has to shell out for BAR 8).
