T-626-ESR Samaritan

Country of Origin: Banzaidyne Custom Works

Original art courtesy of Dream Pod 9 (© 1996 - , Dream Pod 9. All rights reserved; used with permission.)
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Specifications
Type: Emergency/search-and-rescue aircraft Manufacturer: Northco / Pegasus Avionics, modifications by Banzaidyne Custom Works
Armor Material: Durasheet with alloy and ceramic Armor Thickness: Average of 225mm
Length: 32.4 m Wingspan: 27.2 m
Weight: 100,500 kg Maximum Speed: 628 kph
Powerplant: 5 x jet turbines Thrust: 1 x 1900 kg, 4 x 2400 kg


Description
Size: 15 Total Actions: 3

Offense
Weapon Code Arc S M L EX Acc FC Dam Qty ROF Special Ammo
None fitted

Defense
Primary Movement: Flight 0/11/21 (630 kph) Secondary Movement: Ground (Wheeled) 0/0 (0 kph)
Maneuver: -3 Armor: 15 / 30 / 45

Miscellaneous
Crew: 4 (Pilot, Copilot, Sensor Officer, Communications Officer) Deployment Range: 3500 km
Sensors: +2 / 3 km ground, 30 km air Communications: +1 / 15 km ground, 150 km air
Perks: Airlift Winch (Rating 8, AUX), Aquatic Sensors (AUX), Autopilot (AUX), Cargo Bay (50 cubic meters), Chaff/Flare Dispensers (Rating 2, 15 shots, AUX), Geological Sensors (AUX), Life Support (Limited, AUX), Loudspeakers (powerful, AUX), Passenger Seating (16), Searchlight (swivel, 150 m range, AUX), Sick Bay (6 patients) Flaws: Cannot Glide, Large Sensor Profile (Rating 2), Maximum Ceiling (10 km)
Defects: None Lemon Dice: 3

Notes

Since its introduction, models of the T-626 Orca Gear transport has been adapted to fulfill a number of missions, and The Samaritan is no exception. At the request of Coronado's 1st Air Wing, Banzaidyne modified a standard Orca hull to create a remarkably capable emergency and search-and-rescue VTOL platform.

The standard vehicle bay of the Orca is replaced by a well-equipped sickbay, allowing onboard medical staff to treat up to six patients at once. Additional seats were also added to accomodate up to 16 aid and medical specialists. The Samaritan's cargo bay is stocked with first aid packs, blankets, rations and water for distribution to disaster victims, and the belly of its hull was modified and reinforced to accept a winch capable of lifting most Gears in Coronado service.

The sensor suite of The Samaritan is dramatically upgraded from the standard Orca. These upgrades include ground-penetrating radar and sonar, allowing the craft to scan for earthquake survivors who are buried under the rubble of buildings and to search for vehicles that have sunk underwater. These sensors are manned by a dedicated crewman, so the flight crew can concentrate on search patterns.

The Samaritan retains the high armor and the chaff/flare dispensers of the standard Orca, but dispenses with the Orca's signature suppression features. This is seen as an asset, since this craft is intended to be noticed as much as possible. Likewise, The Samaritan sports a high-visiblity white and orange paint scheme for rapid visual detection. The craft also carries a set of powerful loudspeakers for the crew to make announcements while in the air, even if only to say "Help is on the way."

The Samaritan has been involved in numerous operations with the 1st Air Wing, including the location and retrieval of the remains of the crew of the Northern bomber The Spirit of St. Louis in TN 1933. The aircraft was also used for a time as a forward base for the 1st Air Wing's operations at Peace River, after the city-state's destruction in TN 1939. The craft gained such media exposure during the recovery effort that Banzaidyne has begun producing copies for other air forces. The first such copy, The Phoenix (pictured at left), was donated to the Peace River Defense Force in a goodwill gesture in the Summer of TN 1940.


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