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VR-089 Tornado 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, special forces version.

III. Service History:

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

IV. Performance:

• Speed, Motorcycle mode : 336kph max., 128kph typical cruising speed
• Speed, Battloid (running): Approximately equal to that of the pilot.
• Speed, Battloid (flying) : 288 kph at up to 500m, hover at 22.6m
• Max Output: 199hp / 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.
• IBM IBM-2288 portable computer (carried in one of the two storage boxes).

VI. Personal Armor:

• To use the VR-089 Tornado, 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-105 mini-missile launcher:  The main weapon of older cyclones has remained mostly unchanged in the newer models. The launchers 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. Both launchers hold 6 IM-07 Black Widow Infantry Missiles.
• 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 or more of the following additional packages)

A Model:

• None, though hand-held weapons are possible.

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.

H-1 Model:

• 2 x Krupp CADS-2 ceramic blades: An advanced version of the original CADS system is standard issue for the VR-089 Tornado. Instead of sword blades, the disk- shaped hub units conceal whirling buzz-saw blades that can cut through solid steel girders in seconds. This attachment has great possibilities in the field of sabotage and demolitions as well as that of espionage. Like its predecessor, it is mostly silent, except for a low hum and the sound of the blades whirring. Unfortunately when cutting through metal, the CADS-2 will tend to make a great deal of noise, spoiling any chance of surprise. The CADS-2 also contains an energy shield that can be used to shield the mecha from harm if necessary. The CADS-2 is large and awkward, and cannot be used as a weapon if detached from the Cyclone mecha. The unit draws power directly from the cyclone's onboard fusion reactor.

H-2 Model: 

• 2 x Krupp CADS-1B, long ceramic swords and Mauser REB-19: An updated version of the original CADS-1, designed as an alternative for the CADS-2. The CADS-1B resembles and has all the functionality of the CADS-1, but is smaller and has a particle cannon mated to it for distance attacks which has a range of 2 km and fires off 900 kJ pulses of energy of five seconds.

 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.

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.

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 Tornado is composed of an advanced titanium-steel alloy. The armor on the Tornado stops all small arms fire, provides good protection against heavier infantry weapons, such as a 12.7mm machinegun round, and average resistance to light mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Zentraedi 22.3mm HE autocannon round (though the pilot will be badly concussed). 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