The RH-4E1 is designed to allow extended exploration of bodies of water and, to some extent, what lies beneath them. The hovercraft is sealed, with NBC protection, to allow it to be used in hostile climates. An airlock is provided to allow access to the outside world. The research hovercraft carries a crew of six, who must share three bunks.Provisions are provided for one month, though the RH-4E1 rapidly becomes uncomfortable well before then (if possible, a permanent base is set up so the crew does not have to sleep in the vehicle for extended periods). Note that whether or not a
In a Space setting, the main limitation is that the power plant requires oxygen to operate, thus limiting the hovercraft's usefulness away from earth (note that the lift fan does not require an oxygen atosphere to operate). The powerplant could be replaced in hovercraft intended for such planets with a MHD turbine, which consumes 420.5 gallons of hyrogen per hour. Change fuel tankage to 1200 gallons hydrogen and 600 gallons LOX; this lasts only 2.85 hours. Electronics will almost certainly be replaced by high-tech versions (generally, x2 range/magnification at TL9, x4 at TL10+).
Subassemblies: Body +5, full rotation pop-up Turret +0, GEV Skirts
+4
P&P: 2100 kW gas turbine w/1000 lb thrust fan and 35,000
lb lift fan, 2x rE-cells, 1800 gallons diesel (fire chance: 7) in three
light self-sealing tanks, 15.6 hours fuel
Occ: 6 NCS (pilot, sensor operator, mechanic, three researchers),
3 bunks
Cargo: 150 cf
| Armor | All | ||||
| Body | 4/15 | ||||
| Skirts | 4/15 |
Equipment
Turret: x10 LLTV (+3/+6), 10 mile thermograph (Scan 17), 8 mile
searchlight
Body: 2x long range radio, medium range laser comm, civilian
GPS, intertial navigation system, navigational instruments, neural-net
minicomputer, 2x small computers, 6 terminals, active/passive dipping sonar
(5 mile, Scan 15), compact fire supression system, 6x crashwebs, 6-man
NBC kit, limited life support (6 man/days), 180 man/days provisions, two-man
airlock, ESU
Statistics
| Size: 9'x12'x28' | Payload: 11,100 lbs + 3000 cargo | Lwt: 39,018 lbs (19.49 tons) |
| Volume: 2000 cf (Size Mod: +6) | Maint.: 34 hours | Price: $334,500 |
HT: 10
HP: 1044 [body], 743 [skirts]
| hSpeed: 79 | hAccel: 1 | hDecel: 8 | hMR: 2 | hSR: 5 |
Design Notes
Frame is cheap medium for 1250 cf body, 3 cf pop turret, and 750 cf
skirts. Body is sealed.