DC-31 Halberd

The Halberd is a fourth generation light drop-ship, capable of delivering one full combat unit (maximum of fourteen soldiers) or ten metric tons of supplies, or a light assault vehicle, to practically anywhere within a thousand mile radius of it's base. It has some inboard weapons, making it possible to be used as a gunship if necessary, and the armor can protect it from most, if not all, small arms fire.

The first drop-ships were used by the Nolian Confederation clans, during the Fifth Clan War, which involved all seven clans, in the mid twenty second century. The drop-ship all but replaced the helicopter in Nolia, but the outside nations paid little attention to what happened among the clans, and did not take interest until after the Nolian, Alsen-Kir War. The first drop-ships were only capable of transporting ten troops, or one short ton of supplies, their main asset was quick launch and comparatively high speed, as well as being far more maneuverable than an equivalent helicopter. After the Fifth Clan War, the clans became isolated from the rest of the continent, and the technology did not not leave the mountains of Nolia. The war with Alsen-Kir, at the end of the twenty second century, brought the drop-ship out of the dark and into the eyes of the world. By then, the clans had begun producing third generation drop-ships, which had twice the range and payload of the first drop-ships.

Historians have debated whether the drop-ship was the main factor in Nolia's victory, or if the clan's ground-battle tactics and simple non-acceptance of defeat that won the war. Little advances were made in the time between the alliance's formation and the discovery of Flash-drive power. After the flash-drive became readily available two companies, Summit Aircraft Industries of Nolia, and Air Enterprises of Alsen-Kir, began experimenting with new designs that replaced the conventional power-plant with flash-drives.

Summit Aircraft Industries finished prototypes for three different drop-ships in 2237, each with varying capabilities and strengths; the smallest was thirteen meters long, and could carry one combat squad, fifteen metric tons, or a light armored vehicle, the largest could carry two combat squads, twenty five metric tons, or two light vehicles. Air Enterprises put out four designs the next year; three of their prototypes were similar in capabilities to the Summit Aircraft Industries designs, but the fourth drop-ship was completely different. It was capable of airlifting up to seventy fully equipped combat soldiers, in addition to twelve metric tons of cargo, and two combat vehicles, or fifty metric tons of cargo, or two heavy armor vehicles(Alsen-Kir, Cavalier), and four medium armored vehicles(Alsen-Kir, Archer).

The DC-31 Halberd was one of the Summit Aircraft Industries designs, the smallest drop-ship from the lineup, it is the standard drop-ship in Nolia, over five hundred have been produced and serve among the seven different clans. Alsen-Kir Air Command bought ten, for experimentation.

Specifications

Power plant:

Two Cogan-Firth Beta Class 3 Flash-turbines
One Cogan-Firth Alpha Class 1 Flash-turbine

Weapons:

Primary; two 3.7cm tri-barrel gas powered gatling, limited traverse, forward facing. Seven thousand rounds each.
Secondary: two 5.6cm automatic cannon, limited traverse, forward facing. Four hundred rounds each.
Tertiary: two 9mm five-barrel gas powered gatling, turreted, mid-hull. Ten thousand rounds each.
(All DC-31s can be outfitted to carry up to fifty six rockets, two hundred fifty pound bombs, or thirty two missiles.)

Compliment:

Crew: Pilot, copilot/gunner, navigator, usually taken from the squad being transported. Up to fourteen fully equipped soldiers.

Armor:
Early model; 2cm steel Glance Plate.
Late model; 1.5cm araien Glance Plate.

Range:
Three thousand kilometers one way trip. Combat radius is restricted to twelve hundred kilometers.