BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
                      VALIDATED

Type/Model:    Firestorm 
Tech:          Inner Sphere / 3067
Config:        V.T.O.L.
Rules:         Level 3, Custom design

Mass:          30 tons
Power Plant:   40 General Motors Fusion with Jet Boosters
Cruise Speed:  64.8 km/h
Maximum Speed: 97.2 [129.6] km/h
Armor Type:    StarGuard CIV Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:      
  1 Federated Firestorm Rotary AC/5 
  2 BlazeFire Longshot ER Medium Lasers
Manufacturer:  Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion
  Location:    Belladonna
Communications System:  Achernar Electronics HID-21
Targeting & Tracking System:  Federated Stalker

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==Overview:==
Since its development, weapons designers in the Federated Suns have been
trying to put the rotary autocannon on most everything they could imagine. A
number of BattleMech designs use the weapon, as do the Ajax OmniTank and
Musketeer hovertank. Cal-Boeing was no exception to this, and in 3065 they
begin trials of a prototype VTOL deploying the rotary AC.

The Firestorm, as it is called, is rather slow compared to many VTOLs, as it
uses much of its tonnage for armor and weapons. Where the Yellowjacket's major
claim is that it can survive a gauss or Clan PPC hit to the nose, the
Firestorm can survive such a hit from the front and both sides, and can
survive an IS PPC hit from the rear. The craft's usual speed of 97 kph is
rather unimpressive, but the advanced jump boosters on its sides and rear let
it reach speeds of 130 kph if it must. The craft's damage potential is the
main selling point. The rotary autocannon can inflict heavy damage, and is
augmented by a pair of ER medium lasers. All three weapons are linked to a
targeting computer, giving them notably enhanced accuracy.

The Firestorm should have been available for the last year-and-a-half of the
civil War, at least, but the craft encountered an unexpected problem which
delayed its deployment. Although prone to jamming, the Mydron Tornado RAC/5 is
generally a reliable weapon. However, the Tornado was never designed for VTOL
deployment, and the prototypes' weapons began failing unexpectedly - a problem
traced to a VTOL's heavy and constant vibration. Althpugh informed of the
problem by Cal-Boeing, Mydron was concentrating its efforts elsewhere at the
time, and didn't remedy the problem fast enough for Cal-Boeing's satisfaction.
Instead, Cal-Boeing turned to Federated, a division of Achernar BattleMechs.
Federated had been working on and was near to starting production of its own
RAC. Federated designed a slightly modified version of their weapon for VTOL
use, and Cal-Boeing was installing them by late 3066.

Although only deployed in small numbers, the Firestorms which fought on New
Avalon performed solidly, if unspectacularly.

==Variants:==
The only variant of the Firestorm sacrifices the speed of jump boosters for
armor. Survivability in this version actually goes down, as not much armor can
be gained from half a ton. The intent is to reduce the machine's cost. Despite
its low cost (almost half as much as the standard), this slower variant is
unpopular, and only a small percentage of Firestorms will ever be built this
way.

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Type/Model:    Firestorm 
Mass:          30 tons

Equipment:                                 Items    Mass
Int. Struct.:  15 pts Standard               0      3.00
Engine:        40 Fusion                     0      1.00
Shielding & Transmission Equipment:          0       .50
Jet Boosters:                                1       .50
    Cruise MP:   6
     Flank MP:   9 [12]
Heat Sinks:     10 Single                    0       .00
Cockpit & Controls:                          0      1.50
Crew: 2 Members                              0       .00
Rotor Equipment:  Main/Tail Rotors           0      3.00
Armor Factor:   81 pts Ferro-Fibrous         2      4.50

                          Internal    Armor
                          Structure   Value
   Front:                     3         26 
   Left / Right Sides:        3      20/20 
   Rear:                      3         13 
   Rotor:                     3          2 

Weapons and Equipment    Loc  Heat  Ammo   Items    Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Rotary AC/5            Front    0   20     2     11.00
2 ER Medium Lasers       Front   10          2      2.00
1 Targeting Computer                         1      3.00
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TOTALS:                          10          8     30.00
Items & Tons Left:                           3       .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        2,424,000 C-Bills
Battle Value:      1,763
Cost per BV:       1,374.93
Weapon Value:      480 / 480 (Ratio = .27 / .27)
Damage Factors:    SRDmg = 28;  MRDmg = 18;  LRDmg = 2
BattleForce2:      MP: 6V,  Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
                   Damage PB/M/L: 3/3/-,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: VA;  Point Value: 18