With power armor, Sky Cycles and jet packs, the need for con- ventional 21st Century combat aircraft is much less important and manageable in the Rifts Earth environment. Still, there is a need for some. Besides, there is nothing conventional about the recently re-
vealed NG Dragonfly. The leaders of the design team, Joshua Hill, Douglas Rood and David Dunham, have created an aircraft that is
a hybrid combination of a rocket cycle and an olden-day helicopter gunship. The Dragonfly utilizes a hover propulsion system which provides flight capabilities similar to a helicopter – VTOL (Vertical Takeoffs & Landings), hover and low altitude flying at low to mod- erate speeds. It has excellent maneuverability and functions equally well in an urban or wilderness setting.
The Dragonfly is no reconnaissance or medical evacuation ve- hicle, but a flying weapons platform designed as a tank, monster and giant robot (or dragon) killer. In an urban setting and field conditions with a good deal of ground cover, and wherever low altitude flying
and surgical strikes are desired (coming over a rise, or from around a building to strike enemy tanks and robots is one of its special- ties), the Dragonfly performs admirably with capabilities that rival the Coalition’s Black Lightning combat helicopter. However, in an open field of combat, the slow-moving and somewhat awkwardly balanced Dragonfly is a sitting duck for smaller, fast-moving power armor, larger, faster aircraft, and even entrenched ground positions. That having been said, it is one of the best combat vehicles of its kind on the market, and is especially popular in the north and northeast, around the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway. Even the Tun- dra Rangers and Free Quebec have purchased some for their combat forces in the last four years.
Amongst military forces, including the Army of Ishpeming, the Dragonfly enjoys widespread use as a tank and robot buster as well as for heavy troop support. Several naval forces also use the Drag- onfly for coastal patrols, anti-submarine warfare, and blasting pirates and sea serpents out of the water. Some of the largest warships have a wing of Dragonflies stowed on deck. The Dragonfly has been a part of Ishpeming’s defenses for the last seven years, and has been quietly sold to other kingdoms and reputable defense forces for the last three years.
Model Type: NG-HC1000 Dragonfly. Class: Hover Combat Gunship.
Crew: Two; a pilot and a gunner. A third, human-sized passenger
(or equipment) can be squeezed into the cockpit, but the fit is tight, there is no seat for the third person and the cramped conditions inflict a -10% penalty to the piloting skill.
M.D.C. by Location:
Main Jet Thrusters (2, rear) – 80 each * Hover Jets (3, undercarriage) – 20 each * Spotlight (2, top of cockpit) – 5 each * Ion Pulse Turret (1, top turret) – 35 * Dual Rail Gun (1, nose) – 50
* Mini-Missile Box Launchers (24, side) – 15 each * Wing Mini-Missile Launchers (2, per wing) – 50 each * Wing Launch Racks (2, each holds 4 missiles) – 20 each ** Wings (2) – 70 each
* Tail Section – 120
* Reinforced Pilot Compartment – 50 *** Main Body – 195
* All areas that are marked with a single asterisk are small and difficult targets to hit, requiring an attacker to make a “Called Shot,” and even then he is -4 to strike.
** Destroying one or both of the wings reduces the flight per- formance of the vehicle, however as long as the hover system is functional, the Dragonfly can continue to hover and fly. Reduce speed and altitude by 30% and impose a -20% penalty to the pilot- ing skill when one wing is lost. Reduce speed and altitude by an additional 30% (60% total) and impose an additional -20% pen- alty to the piloting skill when both wings (or the tail and a wing) are lost. Note: When a wing is depleted of M.D.C., any remaining
weapon systems and missiles still mounted to the wing fall away and are likely (01-80%) to detonate before they hit the ground. Similarly, destroying the tail section imposes a -20% penalty to the piloting skill and reduces speed and altitude by 30%. All pen- alties are cumulative.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body knocks the bird out of the sky! Roll under piloting skill -20% for the pilot to man- age a crash-landing from which he, the gunner and any passenger don’t take damage (the aircraft is scrap metal, but they survive inside a shattered reinforced pilot compartment).
Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not possible.
Flying: The hover jet propulsion system of the Dragonfly allows the vehicle to hover stationary, VTOL, and fly at a maximum speed of 200 mph (320 km).
Maximum Altitude: A max ceiling altitude of 8,000 feet (2,438 m) and a combat altitude (the height in which air to ground attacks are possible) is limited to 4,000 feet (1,219 m).
Flying Range: A nuclear power supply gives the Dragonfly years of life, however the hover jets require two hours of cooling off after 12 hours of continuous use.
Statistical Data:
Height: 9 feet (2.7 m); low profile. Width: 28 foot (8.5 m) wingspan. Length: 36 feet (11 m).
Weight: 4 tons, five when fully loaded with full missile complement and rail gun ammo.
Cargo: A small weapons storage locker is located in the pilot com- partment that holds up to two rifles, three pistols, a portable radio, food rations for a week, two gallons (7.6 liters) of water, and an NG- S2 survival kit.
Power System: Nuclear (average energy life is 15 years) or Solid Oxide.
Cost: 2.8 million credits for nuclear; 2.3 million for Solid Oxide. Does NOT include the cost of any missile ordnance; missiles are an additional expense. Fair to poor availability to select kingdoms and armies. Note: The Dragonfly is NOT sold by NG on the open market.
When a stolen or captured bird does become available via the Black Market or pirates, the vehicle sells for double and triple the list price.
Weapon Systems:
1. NG-D1000 Dual Rail Gun Nose Turret: Mounted under the nose
of the Dragonfly gunship is a double-barreled NG-404 heavy rail- gun turret. These weapons are large bore barrels that are capable of turning side to side at a 90 degree angle and can tilt up and down 40 degrees without having to angle the nose and tilt the entire aircraft.
Primary Purpose: Assault, Strafing Runs and Anti-Personnel. Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Range: 4,000 feet (1,219 m).
Mega-Damage: 6D6 M.D. for a single burst or 1D6x10 M.D. for a simultaneous double burst from both barrels. A single burst is 30 rounds, a dual burst is 60 rounds.
Rate of Fire: Each single or double burst counts as one melee attack. Payload: 3,000 round internal drum fed magazine for 100 single bursts or 50 double barrel bursts (60 rounds). Reloading the drum is a complicated process that requires special equipment, a trained ground crew and 15-20 minutes time.
2. Double-Barrel Ion Turret: A low-profile, double barrel, ion tur-
ret is mounted on the top of the aircraft just behind and above the cockpit and may be controlled by the gunner or the pilot. This is a defensive weapon system usually operated to engage enemy aircraft, power armor and other flyers attempting to dogfight the Dragonfly or drop down from above. The ion pulse turret is ca- pable of 200 degree rotation and has a 90 degree arc of fire up and down.
Primary Purpose: Defense.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Aircraft/Flyers. Range: 1,400 feet (426.7 m).
Mega-Damage: 6D6 M.D. per dual blast.
Rate of Fire: Each blast counts as one melee attack. Payload: Effectively unlimited.
3. NG-D100 Mini-Missile Box Launchers (12 per each sides):
Mounted on the body of the gunship, off to the side and behind the pilot’s cockpit, are two sets of 12 mini-missile box launchers (24 total) capable of rapid fire and large volleys of missiles. Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor and Anti-Aircraft.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fortification, Assault and Defense. Range: About one mile (1.6 km).
Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type. Any mini-missile can be used, but standard issue is armor piercing (1D4x10 M.D.) or plas- ma (1D6x10 M.D.). Never substituted with mini-torpedoes. Rate of Fire: One at a time or volleys of 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24! Each vol- ley, regardless of the number of missiles fired, counts as one melee attack.
Payload: 48 total missiles; two in each of the 24 box launchers, two sets of 12 box launchers on each side of the aircraft.
4. Wing Missile Racks (2): A missile rack hooks onto each wing to
hold a cluster of four short-range missiles or two medium-range missiles per rack (that’s a total of eight short-range missiles or four medium).
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor and Anti-Monster. Secondary Purpose: Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Fortification.
Range: 5 miles (8 km) for short-range missiles; 40 miles (64 km) for medium-range.
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type. Any short-range missile can be used, but standard issue is armor piercing (2D6x10 M.D.) or plasma (2D6x10 M.D.).
Any medium-range missile can also be used, but standard issue is armor piercing (3D6x10 M.D. to a 20 foot/6.1 m blast radius) or me- dium high explosive (2D6x10 M.D. to a 30 foot/9.1 m blast radius). Rate of Fire: One at a time or volleys of 2 or 4. Each missile or volley fired counts as one melee attack. Controlled by the pilot or gunner. Payload: 8 total short-range missiles; four per wing, or 4 total medi- um-range missiles; two per wing.
Missile Rack Payload Penalty: The weight and bulkiness of the mis- siles cause air drag and some imbalance to the aircraft. Reduce speed by 10% and impose a -10% piloting penalty for dogfighting, evasive and trick maneuvers as long as even one weapon rack remains even partially loaded. Increase the speed and eliminate the piloting pen- alty when ALL missiles are fired and the wing racks are empty.
5. NG-D1212 Mini-Missile Wing Launchers (2): Mounted on
each wing of the Dragonfly is an additional 12 mini-missile box launcher (24 total) capable of rapid fire and large volleys of mini- missiles or torpedoes.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor and Anti-Aircraft.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fortification, Assault and Defense. Range: One mile (1.6 km).
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type. Any mini-missile can be used, including smoke, Hex, and explosive ordnance. Standard issue is a mix of 6 smoke, 4 Hex or tear gas, 8 armor piercing (1D4x10 M.D.) and 8 plasma (1D6x10 M.D.). May be substituted with mini- torpedoes when appropriate.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or volleys of 2, 4 or 6. Each volley, re- gardless of the number of missiles fired, counts as one melee attack. Payload: 24 total missiles (12 in each wing launcher).
Missile Payload Penalty: The weight and bulkiness of the wing mini- missile launchers cause air drag and some imbalance to the aircraft. Reduce speed by 10% and impose a -10% piloting penalty for dog- fighting, evasive and trick maneuvers as long as even one launcher remains even partially loaded. Increase the speed and eliminate the piloting penalty when ALL missiles are fired and the wing launchers are empty.
6. Sensors and Features of Note: Basically the same as robot ve-
hicles.