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VR-073 Typhoon Veritech Armored Cyclone

I. Dimensions:

II. Type:

• Design: Robotech Research and Development and Honda Motor Company
• Builders: Honda Motor Company
• One man motorcycle, two-form veritech high-mobility power armor, reconnaissance version.

III. Service History:

• Served with RDF Space Marines, Marines, and Army from 2050 and is still in service.

IV. Performance:

• Speed, Motorcycle mode : 384 kph max., 160 kph typical cruising speed
• Speed, Battloid (running): Approximately equal to that of the pilot.
• Speed, Battloid (flying) : 344 kph at up to 500m, hover at 20.8m
• Max Output: 160hp / 18000rpm
• Fusion supply : 100 hours operational use, on one standard fusion cell.

V. Electronics

• Avionica GN/VR-42 short range millimeter radar (10 km range).
• Phillips GN/DOS-3600 Miniview UV, IIR and optical sight system with light intensifier and computer enhancement.
• Harris CT-23 computer targeting system with stereoscopic laser targeting and HUD in Battloid mode.
• Short range radio.

VI. Personal Armor:

• To use the VR-073 Typhoon, the pilot must be wearing a suit of CVR-6 Body Armor, to which the Cyclone attaches in Battloid mode. 

VII. Armament:

Internal:

• 2 x GR-106 mini-missile launcher:  Although based on the older VR-038-LT Cyclone, the VR-073 Typhoon was equipped with shoulder missile launchers like its newer brethren to give it more punch. However, due to the need to keep the weight low, the payload for the GR-106 had to be decreased to 3 missiles per launcher, giving a total of 6  IM-07 Black Widow missiles instead of the normal payload of 12 for other cyclones. Like the standard GR-105s, the 106s have been updated with newer technology which makes them more resilient to damage and easier to repair . In motorcycle mode, the two missile launchers are side by side in the nose of the cycle. In battloid mode, the missile launchers are divided, with one on each shoulder of the mecha. 
• 2 x GR-107 mini-missile launcher: The new cyclones all carry onboard a pair of GR-107s. These weapons are mounted on the hip/upper leg shields in battloid mode and in the lower back of the cyclone in motorcycle mode. It appears as four small tubes built directly into the armored plate each tube carrying one IM-07 Black Widow Infantry Missile. The missiles can only fire in battloid mode.

(All Cyclones mount one of the following additional packages)

A Model:

• None, though hand-held weapons are possible..

C Model:

• 1 x Pioneer RC-320 military recording camera: Usually used for archival and reconnaissance in battlefield environments. Camera set includes IR-illuminator, and night-vision capability on a high-resolution wide-bandwidth CCD chip and six low-resolution narrow-band CCDs for full optical, near- and far-IR, and UV color imaging. Camera is capable of digitally storing thirty minutes of footage at highest resolution, or twelve hours at the lowest. Unit is also capable of three-color hard-copy production of single frames. Camera mounts to the right shoulder hardpoint in all modes.

F Model:

• 2 x Mauser GR-200 dual mini-missile tubes / REB-21 laser cannon: This popular cyclone weapon unit is based on the old GR-97 Missile Launcher design used on the VR-052 Battler. The new unit mounts two one-shot missile launchers, combined with a modified beam cannon derived from the older EP-37 design firing off 600 kJ pulses every two seconds. The missiles give the cyclone a heavy punch, and the beam cannons provide an energy weapon to fall back on when the missiles are gone. The GR-200 is the commonly requested and issued unit for cyclone units expecting heavy combat.  The beam cannon draws power directly from the cyclone's fusion reactor, giving the weapon unlimited ammo so long as the reactor is functioning. The disadvantage to this is that there is no backup supply, and the beam cannon becomes useless hardware when the GR-200 is detached The missile launchers carry one IM-10 Wolf Infantry Missile each.

 L Model:

• 1 x Raytheon RL-10 hand-held rocket launcher: This launcher fires rocket propelled grenades to be used anti-armor and mecha attacks. It has an eight missile payload usually armed with IM-12 Monster Infantry Missile. Weapon is fully usable without the Cyclone, but must be fired without benefit of the uplink to the Cyclone's targeting system. Weapon mounts to the interior of the right forearm plate (front wheel cover) in Battloid, and on the right shoulder hardpoint in Cycle mode.

T Model:

• 1 x Krupp EP-54 60mm particle beam gun:  Mounted in place of the right forearm plate (right front wheel cover) of the Cyclone. Firing 2 MJ per shot, it can pierce almost any armor, and stores 50 rounds per energy clip. Clips can recharge from the Cyclone's main generator, but at a slow rate. Weapon is also targetable from Cycle mode, though the arc of fire is limited. A targeting camera is mounted in the front, uplinking with the Cyclone's main targeting system. Action is semi-automatic. This weapon is appreciably lighter than earlier models, but is still somewhat difficult to hold in prolonged combat without the added strength of the Cyclone.

Hand-held:

 
• A pilot may use a hand-held weapon in any hand not already occupied with a Cyclone weapon mounted on the inner forearm plate (such as the EP-55, EP-54, or RL-10). The most typical weapon carried is the H-95 Raven in rifle mode.
• 1 x Mauser EP-55 45mm hand-held laser cannon:  Capable of piercing almost any armor and doing devastating amounts of damage; each shot is rated at around 5 MJ. This weapon holds 12 rounds per energy clip. Alternatively, the weapon may fire 25 shots at the lower energy setting of 900 kJ per shot. When used without the Cyclone system, the weapon is heavy (9 kg), and is difficult to aim. However, because servos connect the forearm plate/front wheel cover to the Cyclone torso (these servos, which double as shock absorbers in motorcycle mode, are often omitted from Battloid-mode sketches of the vehicle), the pilot's strength is augmented for all items physically mounted to the forearm plate, ameliorating the difficulty in using the weapon. Additionally, the gun possesses a sighting camera which can link into the Cyclone's targeting system. Weapon is mounted to the inside of the right forearm plate (right front wheel cover) in Battloid and the right shoulder hard-point in Cycle mode. Action is semi-automatic. 
• 1 x Fabrique Nationale M-65 Piranha 7.62mm six barrel mini-gun: Used for anti-personnel use. This weapon uses 2 magazines containing 500 rounds each and can fire at a rate of 2000 rounds per minute. The weapon also includes a large sensor/designator that can tie into the Cyclone's targeting system to assist in aiming. The Cyclone system's arm servos provide the strength to operate the weapon as well as dampening the recoil to allow this weapon to be used one or two handed. 

NOTE:  All Cyclones can use any type of external module (with the exception of the VR-074 Gorilla), but usually the military will only assign specific modules to specific cyclones although exceptions can be made.

VIII. Armor:

The armor of the Typhoon is composed of an advanced titanium-steel alloy which is the same on all cyclones, but less thick to cut down on weight. The armor on the Typhoon stops all small arms fire, provides fair protection against heavier infantry weapons, such as a 12.7mm machinegun round, but poor resistance to light mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Zentraedi 22.3mm HE autocannon round. Vulnerable areas of the pilot are part of the upper arms, which are unarmored. The thighs and helmet are not protected by the Cyclone, but are covered by the CVR armor. Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection is limited to that provided by the CVR armor.

IX. Development:

Layout adapted from Robotech Reference Guide

Content by Jeffrey R. Spillner
Copyright © 2000, 1999, 1998 Jeffrey R. Spillner

Page Last Updated on February 3, 2001 @ 11:00 GMT