RAH-66 Comanche Attack Helicopter.
Terran American Empire Army.			Terran American Empire Army.
The RAH-66 Comanche was developed a few years after the Rain of Death specifically to hunt down and kill T'sentraedi Malconts; Actually, it was on the drawing board RAH-66 Comanche Line Drawing. long before the coming of the Visitor, but development delays prevented it's deployment for several years, the most important of which was MONEY; Congress only approved money once in a while, as they felt the need for more helicopters was MORE important than BETTER craft, and as such wouldn't approve the money necessary to finish development. A cowardly administration aided this by threatening to cut funding off with or without their support.  Fortunately, the RDF understood the need for this platform, especially in attacking grounded T'sentraedi warships, fire support during BAT (downed pilot rescue) missions, and intermediate-range surveillance/attack. A development made after production began, the Chameleon Visible Wavelength Observation Limiting System, involves mounting Hexagonal pleizio-ceramic tiles to the skin of the craft can be darkened or lightened as necessary to render the craft, for all intents and purposes, invisible. The further away the viewer is to the craft, the greater the distortion, making it harder and harder to see. At a range of only a half mile the craft becomes effectively invisible. The system only produces white light; Though coloring the lights IS possibly, in practical use it proved to enhance to planes profile, making it easier to see, rather than harder. Unfortunately, the original design entered service before the advent of the Chameleon System; However, during the re-construction era rebuilding effort (circa 2040-2100), the original design was upgraded with grav pods and the Chameleon System, increasing it's over-all lethality.  The Comancherro is now a critical part of UGC Defense; It is used to disburse large groups of infantry/power armor, locate enemy tanks (and, on occasion, isolate lone tanks, or delay their advances), etc. Being stealth gives it the advantage that enemy forces can't see it AS EASILY. Also, the installed telescoping arms gives the pilot the ability to pick up smallish object (under 500 lbs), and can be completely folded away into the fuselage.  NOTE: Because the craft does not have rotors, it can not auto rotate for a crash landing.  Name: Comanche Helicopter.  Model Type: Stealth Attack Helicopter.  Class: RAH-66.  Crew: 2; Pilot and Gunner. The Pilot FLIES the Helicopter, the Gunner SHOOTS the guns.  Passengers: None. Not possible.  MDC By Location:
Fuselage- Cockpit- Grav Pod- Air Intakes (2)- Thruster Nozzles (2)-	600 300 150 100 each 100 each	Pilots Doors (2)- Optional Weapons Pylons (2)- Tail Boom- Tail Rudder-	200 each 150 each 200 250
Speed and Statistical Data:
In the air: 200 MPH (a slight speed increase came along a few years back with a airframe re-structuring). Range in the air: 2,500 miles On the ground: 10 MPH Range on the ground: 1 mile. Length: 43 ft, 3¾ inches. Width: 7 ft, 7 inches. Height: 11 ft,¾ inch.		Cargo: Only the pilot and copilot's emergence supplies can be carried. Power System: Twin LHTEC T-850A Hydro-cell Turbines; Output: 1,800 hp/1½ megawatts. Flight Systems: Grav Pods and Hydro-Cell Jets. Cost and Availability: 50,000€ new and unarmed; About 200 are manufactured every month, and 2,000 per month could be made available if nessesary. Black Market Cost and Availability: An equivalent system would cost between 5,000 and 50,000€, depending on buyer and seller; Not generally available.
Weapons Systems:
1. TM-5 Plasma Launcher (3): A basic, ball-turret mounted plasma launcher. The weapon itself is base on the M-21 plasma launcher, but has FAR superior range (due to a greater number of primer rings). There is one mounted on the nose and one on each side of the fuselage just aft of the copilot. Purpose: Defense/Anti-Infantry/Power Armor MD: 5D6 Rate of Fire: Standard; Pilot or copilot can automatically use this weapon. Range: 6,000 ft Payload: Unlimited 2. Wing Mounted Weapons Systems: The Comanche can carry up to 4 pods on its 2 optional wing pylons.  A) TM-7 Rocket Launcher: 24 2-inch rocket tubes in 12 rows of 4 each. Each rocket tube has 4 rockets. Purpose: Heavy Assault MD: Each rocket does 2D6 MD Rate of Fire: Volleys of 6 or 12 times pilots attacks per melee. Range: 12,000 ft Payload: 96 per pod. Up to 4 pods can be carried on SOME helicopters.  B) TM-9 Fixed Autocannon: A pair of fixed-forward autocannons; Most helicopters carry these units in pairs on the ends of their weapons pylons. Some pilots elect to use only this weapon, carrying up to 6; Others only carry 1, and use their remaining mounts for rockets and other weapons. Purpose: Medium Assault MD: 1D4×10 per 40 round burst (can only fire bursts). Rate of Fire: Per Gunner's attacks per melee. Range: 9,000 ft Payload: 600 per pod.		C) TM-11 Torpedo Pod: An ASW torpedo pod. Carries the Mk-82 Airborne Torpedo, essentially a modified version of the Mk-81 Submarine Launched Torpedo. The initial launch is by a nothing so complicated as releasing it from the latches that hold it to the pylon. The on board hydro-cell motor then takes over as soon as the torpedo splashes. Each pod holds 3 Mk-82's. Purpose: Offensive/Anti-Ship MD: 4D6×10 per torpedo Blast Radius: 40 ft Maximum Range: 80 miles Minimum Range: 5 miles Rate of Fire: 1 torpedo per pilots attacks per melee. Payload: Each pod holds 3 Mk-82's.  D) TM-12 Fuel Pod: Essentially a modified version of the TM-11 Torpedo Pod. In this case, however, it is used as a fuel pod to double the normal range of the craft.  E) TM-14 Buoy Sonar Pod: An air-droppable sonar buoy used to assist in detecting and, more importantly, driving incurring submarines where their ship wants them to be. 3. Internally Carried SRM's (4): Up to 4 highly specialized SRM's can be carried. Purpose: Anti-Armor MD: 2D6×10 Blast Radius: 100 ft Rate of Fire: 1, 2, 3, or all 4 per pilot's attacks per melee. Range: 15 miles Payload: 4 total.
Features:
Stealth: Gives the aircraft the radar cross-section equivalent to that of a hummingbird, hides the infrared signature to that of a bad cough, and minimizes other radiation from the craft to essentially nil. The acoustic signature also has been minimized using various techniques. Effective prowl of 73% (against radar only). Radar: Combat grade radar. Range 100 miles, can track up to 200 individual targets. 90% reliability (no reliability against unfriendly stealthed air vehicles, 10% against unfriendly ground vehicles). Chameleon System: The M-221 is the only ground vehicle currently using the Chameleon System; Pleizio-ceramic tiles darkened or lightened as necessary to render the craft invisible. Effective Prowl of 20%, or +15% when combined with other techniques. Minimum Effective Distance: 20 ft. Radar: Combat grade radar. Range 100 miles, can track up to 50 individual targets. 95% reliability (24% against unfriendly stealthed vehicles). Blue Force Tracker: Identifies friend from foe. Overlays the information on both the radar and HUD, ensuring that friendly forces are not accidentally targeted. GPS: Standard tracking device. Ties into the Blue Force Tracker. Anti-Jamming System: Reduces Electronics Countermeasure by ¾ (decrease skill level appropriately). HUD: Displays maps, radar, targeting information, and any OTHER information the wearer wants directly in front of the user. FLIR/SLIR: Forward and Side Looking Infrared. Allows pilot to get visuals on targets at night. AJP: Active Jamming Pod. Causes-25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons. The jamming pod is only mounted inside the port taileron. AMC/FD (2): Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispensers. Actually launches a glob of burning magnesium/aluminum alloy to confuse both radar AND heat sensory systems. Fires off 04 chaff/flares each time it is activated. The system is KNOWN to work on all KNOWN radar and infrared systems, but concerns continue that somewhere out there their MIGHT be a system that will be totally unaffected by the system. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (add +20% to rolls for smart missiles).  Effect:  01-50 Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud- Missiles are all destroyed.  51-75 Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (may lock onto another target).  76-00 No effect, missile is still on target.  Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind nearby heat sensors (and optically based sensors at night) for 1 melee. They will suffer the following penalties: Reduce melee attacks/actions, and combat bonuses by half.  Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.  Payload: 60 chaff/flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off 04 chaff/flares.		Virtual Map: Displays a continuously-updating map of local terrain for the pilot. Takes data from and gives data to other friendly units in the area. Effective land navigation of 85% as updates come. Good to 500 miles. Specific range can be adjusted in 1 mile increments. ESM: Radar Detector. Passively detects other radars being operated. Loudspeaker: Amplifies voice 1 to 100×. 100' in normal crowds. Video Camera: Records from the HUD. 50 hours of recording available. Full Range Optic Sensory Suite: Infrared, ultra violet, Magnification, night sight, color filters, thermal imager. Range is about 200 miles for MOST sensors. Survival Pack: A pack of simpler emergency survival supplies: Pup tent, sleeping bag, black light, GPS, first aid kit (bandages, gauze, bandage tape, pads, antiseptic/analgesic), plasma torch (for small repairs and starting fires), repair kit (with MDC Repair Spray), sewing kit (a small spool of thread and 5 needles), 7 star flares (250 ft apogee), 100 ft of black or brown parachute cord (150 lbs tensile strength; This is in addition to several hundred ft from their parachute itself), 2-5 days rations, 2 gallons water, water purification kit (good for about 10 gallons), manual-inflating liferaft (for at-sea abandonment), self-inflating lifevest (15# buoyancy). The liferaft can also double as a Pup Tent if so desired (though most pilots prefer to use a parachute for that, if anything, due to the fact that it is easier to hide). Smoke Dispensers (8): Throws out smoke flares capable of covering a 50³ ft area. Special chemicals in the smoke obscures IR and heat sensors, and defeats visual tracking of the vehicle. Note that it DOESN'T make the vehicle invisible, but simply negates ALL bonuses to strike. Decoys: Specially modified Mini-Missiles used as decoys; Burning globs of magnesium/aluminum alloy to confuse both radar AND heat sensory systems, as well as creating a lot of smoke to obscure the Mecha. NOTE: Though the modified mini-missiles combine smoke flares, AMC/FDs, and LDP's, they aren't powerful enough for use with Destroids/Guardians/Etc. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (add +20% to rolls for smart missiles).  Effect:  01-50: Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud- Missiles are all destroyed.  51-75: Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (may lock onto another target).  76-00: No effect, missile is still on target.  Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind nearby heat sensors (and optically based sensors at night) for 1 melee. They will suffer the following penalties: Reduce melee attacks/actions, and combat bonuses by half. Also, a cloud of smoke approximately 25² ft wide and high by about 1 half-mile long.  Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.  Rate of Fire: Once per melee.  Payload: 6 chaff/flares.
Combat Bonuses from RAH-66 Comanche Attack Helicopter Combat Elite: 4 additional attacks per melee. One additional Attack Per melee at levels 3, 6, and 12 with any additional bonuses for the pilot. +5 Initiative. +5 Strike (any target). +6 dodge. +2 dodge ground- and naval-launched anti-aircraft missiles (in addition to normal +5 dodge).