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AIB-X1 Ascellion Assault Dropship

Class: Assault Infantry Boat

Dimensions
Length: 23m
Wingspan: 23m
Clearance: ~7m, gear extended
Dry Weight: 44.1T

Performance
Cruising: 90m/s (324kph)
Maximum Cruise: 103m/s (378kph)
Combat: 43m/s (155kph)
Lightcruise: 8km/s (28.8Mph)
Agility Rating: 55%

Accommodations
Crew: 3; Pilot, Co-Pilot Gunner, Bay Tech/Jumpmaster
Passengers: 18 seated, ~24 additional standing
Access: Lifting Rear Jump Bay Door, 2x Sliding Crew Bay Jump Doors, 2x Bay Reactor Hatches (external)
Armament: 1x Class 1 Gattling Laser, 4x Class 2 Multirole Wing Pylons
Upgrade: 3x Computer Trays (cockpit tray is taken by standard electronics suite); 26 open switches & 2 open levers

Heavily armored and shielded with modular options for heavy wing-mounted armament, the Ascellion can serve shore-assault duties for an entire squad plus attached elements. A layer-spaced hull provides a durable long-lasting barrier against re-entry heating ideal for extended deployments. Its chin-mounted anti-personnel turret allows the copilot to provide essential suppression during landing or retrieval operations and, with any number of mission tailored loadouts, provide on-demand fire support.

A display and fire-control switch allows the pilot to see as the gunner does and fire the chin mounted weapon in emergencies. The expansive troop bay can access all doors quickly and easily for rapid deployments and the Crew Bay seat allows a Bay Technician or Jumpmaster to easily reach all door controls as well as switch the illumination level between standard white and subdued red, ideal for night operations or other low-visibility scenarios.

For security purposes, only the rear jump bay door can be opened from the outside. Combined with a quick-switch precision flight mode that makes the most of the Ascellion's VTOL capabilities, its landing gear features wide-set rear landing struts, heavy shocks, and all-terrain tires to withstand rapid insertions on rough terrain while permitting taxiing on a standard airstrip. Finally, an extensive switchboard on both pilot stations and three open computer trays give your operations teams ample flexibility in customising the AIB-X1's operational parameters and ease of control to suit their unique mission requirements.

Pilot Hotkeys
[G] - Landing Gear
[1] - Go-NoGo Jump Lights
[2] - Precision Hover Mode (CAUTION: lowered engine power; reduce speed before switching flight modes)
Gunnery Display: [LMB] - Fire Chin Mount

Co-Pilot Hotkeys
[G] - Landing Gear
Gunnery Control
[Mouse Move] - Turret Control
[LMB] - Fire Chin Mount

**CHANGELOG**
[9/8/20]
-Updated Flight Performance Stats
-Rebuilt Starboard Engine Pods to accept Hover Mode Programming, main thruster baffles animate between flight modes, thrust (and counter-thrust) reduced to 10% while in Hover Mode for softer, less-bouncy landings
-Added warning decals near reactor intakes
-Added more images (finally discovered [F2] to hide the HUD)

Technical Notes - XOR Switching and Signal Lights for Landing Gear and Rear Bay Door: due to a lack of programming options and expertise thusfar, I've settled on linking the LDG and rear door swtiches using an XOR gate and signal lights paired with each switch; the signal lights for the landing gear can be easily seen from both pilot positions, solid red or green means the gear is STOWED, while one red and one green light in either combination means the gear is DEPLOYED. The same principle applies to the bay door switches though they exist more as a quick diagnostic for anyone particular enough to want their switches neat and tidy.

Inspiration Notes: this is a meaner, leaner take on the UNSCN Pelican with more in common with the V-22 Osprey than its fictional counterpart. I absolutely love the offset co-pilot seat from the Pelican models and had to include at least one design with that unique feature. Getting the canopy to look nice was one of the most difficult parts, and I'm still not quite satisfied with my solution after seeing some of the amazingly detailed builds on the workshop; I'm humbled and envious in equal parts. While it lacks the rear carrying capacity of HALO's most iconic vehicle, I wanted something less of a massive cargo VTOL and more troop-assault oriented. That meant almost double the passenger space in a similar-sized bay with a much slimmer profile while keeping the classic stub-wing mounting system seen on every attack helo since the Huey and earlier. Once cargo is implemented I can see its pylons receiving maglocks to carry equipment pods, but maybe I'll build a larger vehicle lifter that can carry a whole platoon later on.