GS-8 Neopolis

The GS-8 Neopolis is the most widely used troop/cargo military glider in the UGC’s inventory; They development was heavily influenced by the US Army’s WWII-Era CG-4 Waco. Flight testing began in 2092. GS-8 Neopolis Assault Glider Production Information Manufacturer: UGC. Type: Military Glider Manufacturer: Many Maiden Flight: 2112 Mass: 3,790 lb (1,719 kg) Technical Specifications Length: 99 ft 3 in (30.25 m). Wingspan: 203 ft 5 in (62 m) Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.4892 m) Mass: 3,790 lb (1,719 kg) Armament: Typically none. Crew: 2 Engines: Johnson 31 Interlockers. Usage Status: Active Primary Users: UGC Marine UGC Aero-Space Forces A GS-8 on the ground after a training mission. They were finally rated flight-ready in 2112. Fifteen companies contributed to the development of the GS-8s; Over 2,000 manufacture them. The primary user is the REF Marine, who use them for insertation, typically in preparation for a larger follow-on force, and the ASF, which occasionally uses them for Air Liaison Officer (ALO) insertation. Design And Development The GS-8 is constructed of polycarbonates and some metal and is crewed by a pilot and copilot. They can carry up to 20 power armored troops and their equipment or most armored vehicles (other than Mecha) or even field artillery (such as rail launcher), loaded through the upward-hinged nose section. AC-130’s are usually used as tow aircraft for in-atmosphere deployment, though they are typically launched from warships in orbit (most commonly AZONIA-Class Responses ships) through their normal launching capabilities (much of which is classified, though the use of Rail Launch Tubes is public knowledge). The most critical aspect of the GS-8’s development is that variant of the GC-4 used in the development; 2 XPG-2B’s were built, but never flown, by the US Army. These were equipped with twin R-775-9 engines. Though the REF elected not to install the engines themselves, the concept did, in part, catch on, as even the original, mass-produced CG-4 had a small, gas-powered generator. This is accomplished using Johnson 31 Interlockers, which uses ducting and docking mounts to transfer exhaust from the Mecha being carried to the wings, tailerons, and rudder (wings only once in atmosphere) and an electrical cable which plugs directly into the Mecha on-board. Rather than install even the generator, necessary to maintain even simple aeronautical and control surface elements, the GS-8 was rigged to tap electrical power from the power armors they carried (even a single pilot’s power armor is sufficient to handle the GS-8’s needs), and to bleed exhaust thrust from the power armors as well; This made them technically powered aero-spacecraft, not unpowered gliders. Though it is more efficient to deploy infantry, armor, artillery, and Mecha on standard assault shuttles (such as the PLANETMASTER-Class), it can take as much as 48 to de-orbit an assault shuttle; The minimum time to do so is 12 hours (even an uncontrolled crash landing take 6 hours, usually enough time for the crew to abandon ship). The GS-8, from orbital insertation to final unload, can take as little as one hour, depending on pilot’s skill and courage, and the orbital aspect of the mothership. This gives a shock and awe scale that even most Invidia, well-known to be borderline psychotic, often can not stand against. In the same fashion as the 271ST, the pure shock and awe of even a half-dozen Hovertanks suddenly crashing at one’s headquarters or, more often, supply bases has been known to secure the surrender of all but then most hardened enemy forces. The GS-8, or an equivalent, will likely be in UGC service till the end of time; Even if sci-fi ‘transporters’ are ever developed (highly unlikely, barring the discovery of a whole new aspect of science itself), the GS-8 will probably still be around. One of the single most unusual aspects of this already pretty rare breed of birds is the cockpit; Normally, aircraft and aero-space craft locate the cockpit as far forward as possible, and usually at the very nose; Not so on the GS-8. The pilot and co-pilot actually sit at the very REAR of the craft, allowing the passengers to jump out more easily, and permitting the pilot and co-pilot to stay on board until all to the troopers are off; Most often, they will ride the glider down to the ground, unless she looses a wing or is on fire. Operational History The GS-8 was an early innovation of the United Worlds Alliance, predating even United Galaxy Council. It’s development was spurned on by lessons learned from the Invid Wars, most especially the slightly reckless actions of the dragoon divisions, such as 271ST Dragoon, which used wingboards to insert heavy ground Mecha, most often the Veritech Hovertank, into a combat zone quickly and with devastating effect; However, these wingboards were not very effective in their own right, especially when launched from obit. Though they could re-enter an atmosphere, they were prone to tearing a wing, occasionally clean off, causing the Mecha to tumble to the planet. Assault shuttles are far too big for anything resembling a stealth insertation, and defenders could easily form up to oppose the landing; Wingboards could come crashing down with practically no warning whatsoever, but the risks involved led REF engineers to seek a new method. One of these engineers, a Tiresian name Jonus VERMEEIR, looked over older Tiresian designs for inspiration, but finding none, and with her head hurting from the effort, she randomly grabbed a Terran history book to “take a break”; It was the singularly luckiest break in dragoon history, as she had grabbed a book on Terran Second World War aircraft. At first she only looked at the pictures, but a picture of a German glider plane caught her eye; ¿Where were the engines? she wondered, and proceeded to read the text. It was here that she discovered an idea so ancient to the Tiresians they’d actually forgotten all about it- Unpowered gliders. Though she noticed the concept on the German designs, she keyed in on an American design, the CG-4 Waco, partly due to the fact that all of the statistical data was available, along with operational history- This wasn’t available with other designs. With these basic concepts, she began working up the possibility of gliders as the delivery platform for the future. The prototyping process heavily involved 332ND Dragoon, assigned to Admiral HUNTER’S own Third Fleet, and had two diametrically opposite advantages; 332ND had been badly mauled during the ill-conceived Haydon operation, and with only 25% of the unit having survived the assault, they had bitter veterans, but the unit had been rebuilt to 81% of full qualified manpower, bringing in hundreds of fresh minds, able to see the questions from a new angle, and more importantly learning the design from the ground up. The final design wasn’t what anyone had in mind; The hope was to be able to put two VHT’s into a single insertation vehicle, but this was not to be. Never the less, the design that did come out put far more ability into the dragoons than was reasonably possible. The Neopolis was first deployed in combat well after the end of the Invid Wars, but in ample time for action on FBX 21555320, where they were involved in the only fully effective mass counterstrike against Ascension Supremacy, Operation Sickle, to force them out of the seaside city of Yar. The most recent additional duty of the Neopolis is flight training; Due to it’s easy and generally forgiving nature, a Pilot-Cadet’s first flight is in a Neopolis, then advancing to a single-seater glider, then powered air/aero-spacecraft. This will also be the last time they fly a Neopolis, unless selected as an ALO candidate (all Neopolis pilots are ALO’s, co-pilots ALO Trainees). Operators The single largest users of the GS-8 is the REF Marine, who use them to insert small units quickly onto a target planet, in much the same fashion as Higgins Boats or ROIL TILVU-Class Shuttles; These teams are referred to as Paratroopers, and with good reason; At 100 feet off the deck, THEY JUMP OUT of their nice, safely crashing plane and drop to the planet below, using only their thrusters or grav pods to slow their decent. As already discussed, all Neopolis pilots are ALO’s (to increase the number of available air support and fighter pilots). Often ASF ALO’s will fly Marines into combat, though more often Marines fly their own. One of the more unusual qualifications required for a GS Pilot is qualification as a bomber pilot; Bomber pilots are more comfortable with anti-aircraft fire, and therefore less likely to panic under fire (indeed, one qualification for bombers pilots is to survive “the coffin”, a bomber cockpit simulator that rattles with the effect of simulated anti-air flak and missile strikes). Name: Neopolis. Model Type: GS-8. Vehicle Type: Infantry/Armor Insertation. Crew: Two, pilot and co-pilot. Passenger: Up to 20 Power Armored Troopers. M.D.C By Location: Fuselage- Cockpit- Engines (3)- 3ØØ 15Ø 5Ø each Tailerons (3)- Laser Cannons (2)- 5Ø each 3Ø each Note: Usual conditions apply. Speed and Statistical Data: Driving on the Ground: Not Possible. In-System: 72.6 mph (117 km/h). Stall Speed: 49 mph. Landing Run: 600-800 feet (180-244 m) for normal three-point landing. Maximum Range: One did stay up for 48 hours once, but typically they try to get to the ground as fast as possible, and the shortest recorded transit is 30 minutes from low orbit. Length: 99 ft 3 in (30.25 m). Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.4892 m). Span: 203 ft 5 in (62 m). Weight: 3,790 lb (1,719 kg). Power and Thrust Systems: Power and thrust is derived from the Mecha on-board; Generally uses about 22,000 lbs thrust and 18 amp power using Johnson 31 Interlockers. Cargo: Up to 24,255 lb (11,000 kg). Cost and Availability: About 20,000€; Takes 2 weeks to fabricate, and 3 days to assemble. Black Market Cost and Availability: Generally the same, but only stolen or knock-offs are available this way, and rarely worth the effort, since the GS-8 is available on the open market. Weapons Systems: Typically none; Teh GS-8 really isn’t intended as a weapons platform in and of itself, but as a delivery platform. 1. Shielding: The GS-8 does have shielding, but not very good ones. They’re better employed for protection during re-entry. MDC: 2Ø. Activation Time: One melee attack. Coverage Characteristics: A full 360° coverage area. 2. Twin Door Guns: The passengers of a GS-8 can stick a weapon out the sides, effectively serving as door gunners; However, the weapons are limited to their own capabilities only, and gain no benefit from the glider itself. ALL STATS: Per the weapon’s normal capabilities. Cargo Capabilities The GS-8 is rated as being able to transport up to 20 powered armored troopers, but can not carry most Mecha; The exceptions are: Power Armors: Up to 20 troops of any type. Armored Vehicles: Up to 2 standard armored vehicles can be carried, in lieu of power armor troops, or one in lieu of 10 PA’s; Note that this is a weight limitation, so a GS-8 can NOT carry 2 APC’s carrying infantry as well. Veritechs: Although the GC-8 can carry the VF-7 Alpha Veritech (barely), this would be ridiculously redundant; Instead, they are more often used to deploy the LVR-1 Veritech Car, PV-Ø7 Police Veritech, and most critically the Veritech Hover Tank 2.Ø. Features: The GS-8 is fairly light on all types of features; They’re just not really all that necessary. Radar: Civilian grade navigational radar. Range 1ØØ miles, can track up to 1Ø individual targets. 95% reliability (24% against unfriendly stealthed vehicles). Type-11 wide band radios: Effective 1Ø mile range, auto encrypt/decrypt. Works on standard radio band wavelengths, so it can still be jammed (if the enemy knows the frequencies). GPS: Standard tracking device. 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 terrain at night. L.D.P. (4): The glider carries a dozen special pods that carries four advanced launchable decoy drones, located on the underside of the wings like bombs. These drones are specially designed radar lures that creates a radar image to mimic the glider. This system has been successfully deployed against SEVERAL alien radar-type sensors (including one that works off of sound). Unlike most LDP’s, the pods are ‘dropped’ like bombs, then fire their rocket motors, like the old air-launched missiles. M.D.C.: 5 Effects: The decoy has a 98% chance of fooling ordinary non military radars and non smart guided missiles, and a 9Ø% chance of fooling military grade radars and advanced smart missiles. Range: Released to go wherever it wants. Can fly independently for about 3Ø minutes. Rate of Fire: Per pilots attacks per melee. Payload: 16 Decoys total. Combat Profile for GS-8 Neopolis: 4 attacks per melee (defensive only). +5 Parry, Dodge, and Roll.