Chassis

The Chassis or internal structure of a unit is the framework around which the rest of the unit is built. Depending on the unit's form and function, there are a wide variety of different chassis types.

BattleMech
The first BattleMech chassis was that of the venerable Mackie, introduced in 2439, and has been standard in 'Mech designs ever since. Roughly analogous to the bones in the human body, the standard chassis consists of a foamed aluminum core covered with various composite materials, wrapped in silicon-carbide fibers, and clad in titanium-alloyed steel. However, there are only between sixteen to twenty-five "bones" in a 'Mech chassis, partly due to the more simple nature of the design (i.e. a solid one-piece "rib cage" instead of multiple rib bones), which results in less flexibility and articulation than possible with the human skeletal system. BattleMech chassis come in bipedal, tripod and quadruped arrangements.

One variant on the standard design uses Endo-Steel, an advanced material which requires zero-g manufacturing but is twice as strong while being more bulky. Further development in this field has also led to the introduction of Composite Internal Structures and Endo-Composite Structures.

IndustrialMech
The chassis of IndustrialMechs is similar to that BattleMechs but uses heavier, less efficient materials and bulkier myomer bundles. The resulting chassis is twice as heavy as a comparable BattleMechs and less resistant to weapons fire, though more suited to physical labor and cheaper to produce. IndustrialMech chassis also come in a wider variety of shapes than the typical humanoid form of BattleMechs, and incorporate more exotic means of locomotion such as footpads with grippers or tracks.

AeroSpace
The internal structures used in Conventional Fighters predates man's first spaceflight, while those used for Aerospace Fighters and other space-capable units date from the 2020s. All are based around the need to maintain structural integrity and withstand intense g-forces during normal flight and combat. For small fighter craft, their internal structure is wedded to their armor, while Small Craft and larger vessels make use of additional reinforcements to link the two components.

Combat Vehicle
Combat Vehicles come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, necessitating a wide variety of different chassis designs to accommodate their disparate functions. All share the common advantage of using an open, reinforced framework which can be built around the other components, rather than trying to fit them onto a skeletal frame.

BattleMech Chassis Models
Chassis are manufactured on the following planets:
 * Note the added Chassis models are produced in Clan space and in the Inner Sphere.