Yellow Jacket

Description
One of numerous VTOL designs produced by Michaelson Heavy Industries in response to the Clan threat, the Yellow Jacket Gunship provides one of the most mobile fire-support platforms in existence. Though it carries only one weapon, the Yellow Jacket is capable of sustained fire at long ranges, which makes a lance of these helicopters one of the most lethal forces an enemy can face. Field testing in the Chaos March sparked the interest of the Federated Commonwealth and Lyran Alliance who were quickly sold on the design's effectiveness against Clan and Inner Sphere enemies.

Though not as fast as most VTOLs, the Yellow Jacket still has greater speed than most BattleMechs and OmniMechs. The Gauss rifle's long range combined with the Yellow Jacket's respectable speed keep the vehicle relatively safe, as does its heavy armor. While a single shot can destroy the rotor, like the Cavalry VTOL, the Yellow Jacket can take a direct hit to its nose from a Clan ER PPC and keep flying.

Weapons and Equipment
The Yellow Jacket is built around the Poland Model C Gauss Rifle. This massive weapon, which constitutes the bulk of the craft's weight, can hurl rounds at speeds up to Mach 2.2. The Yellow Jacket's two tons of ammunition allow it to remain on the field for extended sorties, wreaking havoc on enemy lines.

Variants

 * Ammo : While not recommended by Michaelson and produced only upon customer request, this variant trades out a ton of ammunition for an extra ton of armor, limiting the Gauss Rifle to only eight shots before it has to retire from the field. BV (1.0) = 1,202, BV (2.0) =


 * Arrow IV : Another new variation, Michaelson remove the Gauss Rifle in exchange for an Arrow IV missile system with two tons of reloads, with half a ton of armor removed to allow CASE to be added. BV (1.0) = 556, BV (2.0) = 612


 * PPC : This Jihad variant added a light fusion engine to push up the speed of 151 km/h, the Gauss Rifle is replaced for an ER PPC, and it is equipped with a C3 System to make the ER PPC more accurate. BV (2.0) = 582


 * RAC : A recent variant, Michaelson replaced the Gauss Rifle with a Mydron Tornado Rotary AC/5 mated to a Targeting Computer, carrying two tons of ammo protected by CASE with enough weight left over to add an additional one and half tons of armor plate. BV (1.0) = 1,024, BV (2.0) = 797

Related Vehicles
Hawk Moth - Developed by Michaelson Heavy Industries two years later, replaces the Gauss Rifle with a Light Gauss Rifle and is lighter and faster.