Author Topic: [AU: Vela Corridor] Mirage Multi-Purpose Helicopter  (Read 1369 times)

Retry

  • Lieutenant
  • *
  • Posts: 1433
[AU: Vela Corridor] Mirage Multi-Purpose Helicopter
« on: 06 October 2019, 16:19:30 »
Preface:
I've been enjoying beachhead85's AU TRO's quite a lot.  I decided to create a write-up of one of my own designs set in another AU in inspiration to that.  It's not going to nearly as long or as detailed as those though, but hopefully it's still an enjoyable read.


Whatever your opinion on the Crossroad Republic in general, you've got to give credit where credit's due: They make some truly nasty vehicles.  Their Mirage helicopters are no exception.

Once upon a time, Crossroadian chopper pilots complained to high command that their old import Warriors and other vintage VTOLs would have their rotors run off any time someone shook a LB-X in their general direction.  Most of the other factions would have expressed their condolences, told them that's life and to embrace the suck, but the Crossroadians obsess with their combined arms doctrines almost religiously.  In came the complaints, and out came the Mirage five years later.

The Crossroadian Army's solution to the issue was to apply gratuitous levels of armor around the whole frame and build the main rotor blades out of this fancy, hardened lamellor alloy, which doesn't ablate to "soft" hits easily.  It's hard enough to ablate that those little tiny bomblets that pop out of an LB-X will just barely scratch the paint of one.  Now, a Mirage's rotor still can't exactly eat bomblets like candy, but a few angry men in a Partisan is no longer a magic VTOL-eating wand either.  Which is a good thing, since the Mirage isn't going to be winning any racing competitions.

They saw some combat in the first Falcon-Crossroad War.  Some Zoryas got the jump on a squadron of Mirages and got in the first shots.  When the Mirages didn't immediately melt the Clan tankers, being Clan tankers, panicked and got themselves blown to bits.  The incident was picked up by the Republic's media and they helped popularize the Mirage.  The public loves them on propaganda posters.  The grunts love them for the close air support.  The Mirage pilots love not being dead.  Everyone's happy except the Falcons, but I'm not sure Clanners can even feel joy.

The Navy picked up on that and started making their own high-durability choppers.  Their Illusion is faster and, honestly, probably better in-general, but it's still the Mirage in the spotlight.  They're making smaller, more specific platforms now, all loaded with the fancy resistant structure junk, and even refitting some of their old vintage VTOLs with the stuff, specifically on the rotor.  The rest of the galaxy is beginning to pay attention too.  Rumor has it the Republic's engineers are hard at work to get an upgrade package to the Mirage's engines, make it a bit swifter for the modern era.

Honestly, I think that bird is going to revolutionize VTOL design for decades to come.

~J.C.


MIRAGE OMNI-CHOPPER
Code: [Select]
Mirage OmniChopper Base
Base Tech Level: Experimental Mixed (Base Clan)
Level Era
Experimental -
Advanced 3145+
Standard -
Tech Rating: F/X-X-F*-F

Weight: 30 tons
BV: 513
Cost: 3,456,250 C-bills
Source: Crossroads

Movement: 8/12 (VTOL)
Engine: 100 XL

Internal: 18
Armor: 145 (Ferro-Lamellor)
Internal Armor
Front 3 33
Right 3 30
Left 3 30
Rear 3 20
Rotor 3 2
Turret 3 30


Equipment Loc Omni
CASE (Clan) BD Fixed

Quirk:
Rugged (2 point)

Pod Space:
8 Slots
9 tons (5 in chin turret)

VARIANTS

Code: [Select]
Prime:Standard Attack Helicopter
2x ER ML
1x LRM15 w/ Artemis V (Chin turret) (2t Ammo)

B:Advanced Attack Helicopter
2x ER ML
1x iATM9 (Chin turret) (2t Ammo)

C:Direct Fire Support/"Sniper"
1x ER LL
1x Micro PL (Chin turret)
1x Light TAG (Chin turret)
Targeting Computer

D:Aerial IFV
2x MPL (Chin turret)
1x SPL (Chin turret)
Targeting Computer
3t Infantry Compartment

E:Aerial APC/"Slick"
2x Laser AMS (Chin turret)
6t Infantry Compartment
ECM Suite

J:Aerial SRM Carrier
2x ER ML
5x SRM4 (Chin turret) (2t Ammo)

L:Aerial Company Command Unit
1x C3 Master (Chin turret)
2x ER ML
ECM Suite
Active Probe

N:Narc Spotter
2x ER ML
1x iNARC (Chin Turret) (2t Ammo)

Q:Scout
2x MPL (Chin turret)
1x SPL (Chin turret)
Targeting Computer
Bloodhound Active Probe
ECM Suite

OVERVIEW

The Mirage is the main VTOL of the Crossroad Republic's Army Air Service.

The Mirage is notable for its absurdly generous armor scheme, ruggedness against hostile enemy fire, sufficient firepower, but mediocre at best flight speed.  The Mirage benefits from a very high, even cult-like opinion from VTOL pilots due to abnormally high survival rates among the type.

DEVELOPMENT

In the 3070s, the Crossroadian helicopter fleet consisted of slightly-modified versions of older, lightly-armored and lightly-armed helicopter designs such as the Warrior and Ripper, which couldn't operate in environments with even low AA coverage and saw very high casualties in the republic's army aviation.

As all Aerospace and most Conventional fixed-wing aerial assets fell in the domains of the Crossroadian Navy & Air Force, which sometimes had different priorities than the Crossroadian Army, Aerospace assets were often unavailable during ground operations. This left only a few versions of conventional fixed-wing aircraft (usually recon platforms) and the inadequate VTOL fleet as consistently available air support platforms for the Army, which were frequently shot down in droves in moderate-intensity conflicts, leaving the Army without air support early in the scenario. The extremely high attrition rates for VTOL pilots led to an extreme shortage of both qualified, skilled VTOL pilots and willing participants to train in them. The Army's desperate need for air support was echoed in an early 3070's technical study, where the tactical requirement of an attack helicopter capable of operating in high-intensity environments was at the top of the list.

The Mirage is the answer to these tactical requirements. The Mirage is a fairly conventional, if not inexpensive, VTOL, with a typical VTOL rotor arrangement, decent speed and carrying capacity. The Mirage was given a 100 XLE powerplant, a light but fairly reliable and cheap (for an XLE, at least) powerplant that was already in mass production and used in modified Crossroadian Scorpion tanks. The engine provides a decent but not overwhelming flanking speed of 36 m/s. The Mirage, being intended to replace several VTOL models on the front lines, is built as an Omni and has a half-ton chin turret that can accomodate 5 of its 9 tons of pod space in weaponry.

The trickiest part was enhancing the Mirage's survivability on the front lines, which couldn't entirely be fixed by simply slapping more armor on the design. The most vulnerable component, the VTOL rotor, was very limited in the armor it could carry.

A solution to this problem was developed in the early 3070s, with the successful development of Ferro-Lamellor Armor that the Republic developed independently from Clan Snow Raven. The armor had the extremely desirable property of drastically reducing the ablation caused by low-power weaponry like SRMs, small-arms fire and (importantly) individual explosive LB-X pellets that are commonly used by AA platforms.

Firing trials with the drone prototype revealed that the Ferro-Lamellor armor treatment was immensely successful in improving vehicle survivability and, especially, rotor durability. The vehicle itself could take the most common AA weapon shells (LB-X Cluster rounds) without any appreciable negative effects at all locations except the rotor, and took minimal damage from testing with small arms fire. The rotor damage taken by LB-X autocannon cluster fire was minor compared to VTOL prototypes tested with standard armor, which tended to take more catastrophic from only a few cluster hits to the rotor, while the same damage on the Mirage Prototype could still stay airborne and limp home. The stellar performance made an impression on observers, and the Mirage was cleared for mass production.

DESCRIPTION

The Mirage VTOL, aesthetically, does not differ significantly from conventional VTOL designs.  Its appearance can be vaguely described as the love-child product between a Mi-24 Hind and an AH-64 Apache, yet "tougher-looking" than either.  The two-seater has the pilot in the front seat and the gunner in a tandem seat behind him, with a fairly bulky fuselage behind housing the twin 100 XLE and enough space for ammunition, heat sinks, or even passenger space in some configurations.

CAPABILITIES

The Mirage VTOL's most ground-breaking feature is its generous levels of protection using Ferro-Lamellor Armor, which is thick enough to absorb 2 AC/20 hits from every location except the rear.  The vehicle is, in fact, so exceptionally over-built that it is a more common sight to see a Mirage on the ground with its rotor blown off or engine destroyed while still retaining most of its structural integrity than to see a totally destroyed Mirage.

Speed is somewhat slow for a helicopter, but thought to be fast enough by the Mirage VTOL pilots themselves, and is partially alleviated by the chin turret which allows for minimal sudden changes and jerking movements to line up a shot.  A Mirage upgrade featuring a 160 XXLE and a slightly revised armor scheme is planned but not yet on the production line.

The spare weight and space for weapons is reasonable at 9 tons and 8 slots, 5 of which can be installed in the chin turret.  The technology of the Crossroad Republic is comparable to the Clans, and their light-weight weapons are used to their fullest on the platform to get a strong bite out of their payloads, not including external ordinances.  Variants Prime (2x ERML, 1x LRM15 w/ Artemis V), B (2x ERML, 1x iATM9), C (1x ERLL, 1x Micro PL, 1x LTAG), and J (2x ERML, 5x SRM4) are the most common combat configurations, while the D and Q being used frequently in close support against fast targets due to the targeting computer linked pulse lasers, despite having the roles of combat transport and armed reconnaissance, respectively.

DEPLOYMENT

The Mirage was assigned to combat squadrons by 3075, and quickly got the reputation of being a flying tank due to its ability to soak up damage while still getting the two-man crew back home. The VTOL proved to be very forgiving to new pilots, being rugged enough to survive very rough landings and could even be shot out from the sky at low heights without killing the crew.

Attrition rates of front-line helicopter crews plummeted, and some of these crews lived long enough to become very good at their jobs. At the end of their tours of duty, they would go on to train the next generation of helicopter pilots with what they learned from their experiences, who would go on and make less stupid mistakes. This effect snowballed and the Republic's helicopter pilots are now generally considered to be the best trained in and outside of the Inner Sphere.

Among the Republic's VTOL pilots, the Mirage has become an icon and has been said to provide more than a match to light 'Mechs. The Mirage became more famous in general during the 1st and 2nd Crossroadian-Jade falcon wars saw some Mirage crews becoming aerial Aces during frequent helicopter skirmishes between the outnumbered Mirage veterans and the Falcon's second-line helicopter units.

Due to the success of the Mirage and immensely positive feedback from VTOL crews, the Crossroadian Army's VTOL fleet is expected to convert entirely to ferro-lamellor and (in the case of special operation units) stealth armored platforms by 3140.

NOTABLE VEHICLES AND PILOTS

The most famous of these helicopter ace crews was pilot M. Hedger and gunner C. Jones in their own customized Mirage, affectionately nicknamed "Shark-Face". Shark-Face's crew throughout 2nd war claimed 12 confirmed aerial kills, including 2 Balacs, 4 Donars, 5 Anhurs, and 1 Avon Aerospace Fighter with a very lucky shot from an ER Large Laser. Shark-Face also claimed dozens upon dozens of ground kills, mostly consisting of logistical vehicles and a few combat vehicles, including 1 confirmed Adder kill. Shark-Face's reign of terror ended when a Daishi D got a direct hit against it with a HAG/40. Miraculously, Shark-Face and her crew survived the blast and limped away from the assault mech. The crew had to make an emergency landing halfway from the FOB due to engine troubles from the attack, but the crew otherwise got away unscaved and continued the fight in another Mirage until the end of the war 2 weeks later.

After the war, Shark-Face was found at its original landing site mostly intact.  She was refurbished and repaired and served as the VTOL unit's mascot.

beachhead1985

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4066
  • 1st SOG; SLDF. "McKenna's Marauders"
    • Kilroy's Wall
Re: [AU: Vela Corridor] Mirage Multi-Purpose Helicopter
« Reply #1 on: 06 October 2019, 22:37:27 »
This is great, Retry!

I love how you made the chin turret work!

Did you actually do the math on surviving crash damage? This has to be the best-protected VTOL I have ever seen. If anything actually could survive a low-altitude crash and be salvagable; if would be the Mirage!
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman

Retry

  • Lieutenant
  • *
  • Posts: 1433
Re: [AU: Vela Corridor] Mirage Multi-Purpose Helicopter
« Reply #2 on: 07 October 2019, 15:12:52 »
This is great, Retry!

I love how you made the chin turret work!

Did you actually do the math on surviving crash damage? This has to be the best-protected VTOL I have ever seen. If anything actually could survive a low-altitude crash and be salvagable; if would be the Mirage!
So a crashing VTOL takes (# Levels fallen)*(VTOL Weight)/10 damage.  A Mirage that falls 8 hexes would take 24 damage, which is split into 5 point groups.  With the F-L armor, each group is reduced by 1 point, so that's effectively 19 incoming damage from falling.  A Mirage would survive that even if every single hit location hits the rear, unless the rear already has pre-existing damage.

Theoretically it can survive even higher falls, but there's increasing risk that you roll just poorly enough for all the damage to get stuck in one spot.  VTOLs in general don't really need to go that high though.

beachhead1985

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 4066
  • 1st SOG; SLDF. "McKenna's Marauders"
    • Kilroy's Wall
Re: [AU: Vela Corridor] Mirage Multi-Purpose Helicopter
« Reply #3 on: 07 October 2019, 18:48:53 »
So a crashing VTOL takes (# Levels fallen)*(VTOL Weight)/10 damage.  A Mirage that falls 8 hexes would take 24 damage, which is split into 5 point groups.  With the F-L armor, each group is reduced by 1 point, so that's effectively 19 incoming damage from falling.  A Mirage would survive that even if every single hit location hits the rear, unless the rear already has pre-existing damage.

Theoretically it can survive even higher falls, but there's increasing risk that you roll just poorly enough for all the damage to get stuck in one spot.  VTOLs in general don't really need to go that high though.

That is freakin awesome!
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries

These, in the day when heaven was falling,      Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
The hour when earth's foundations fled,         They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
Followed their mercenary calling,               What God abandoned, these defended,
And took their wages, and are dead.             And saved the sum of things for pay.
     
A.E. Housman