The Banshee, as S-Mart calls this vehicle, was in fact a pre-cataclysm design spawned in Argentina around 2060, under the same name. The United States, needing a more rugged vectored thrust hovercraft to replace the early volantors, acquired early in the 21st century, sought out and acquired a license to produce this design locally. By the time of the cataclysm the Banshee was one of the most common vehicles in the world.
Today the pre-cataclysm Banshee is still very common. Golden Age Armaments regularly restores and sells large numbers of these vehicles, usually without any form of weaponry. The Coalition States produced these vehicles during the first century post apocalypse for many years under the nickname of "Shriek", outfitted with a pintle mounted C-40R in the back. While S-Mart's version of the Banshee is little different from either model previously described, it has served a useful position on the market replacing the long used and weary older Banshee varieties. The Banshee is a common order for mercenaries, governments, and even adventurous civilians that travel across country.
Class: Military Hover Car.
Type: Banshee-A.
Crew: 1 Driver, plus it can accomodate an additional 5 passengers.
M.D.C. by Location:
*Windscreen - 25
**Directional Thrusters(4) - 50 each
Rear Main Thrusters(2) - 60 each
***Main Body - 115
* The inhabitants of the Banshee are extremely difficult to hit due to added cover of the windscreen and body of the vehicle, therefore, all attacks made against the inhabitants are only done so at a -3 to strike.
** Directional Thrusters are comparitively small and difficult to hit, so therefore all attacks made against them are only done so at a -3 to strike. Also, if two thrusters are destroyed, the hover car looses it's lift, and will fall at a rate of 20' a melee.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body means that the vehicles hull is in tatters, and for safety measures all systems will shut down. Once this is done the vehicle is next to useless, except as a parts donor for other vehicles.
Performance
Maximum Speed: 150 mph; cruising speed is about 90 mph.
Maximum Altitude: 175'
Maximum Effective Range: Effectively unlimited; However the Banshee's vectored thrusters need to cool from time to time, meaning that the Banshee can "fly" for up to 6 hours at speeds over it's recommended cruising speed without needing a cooling period, or up to 12 hours at or below it's cruising speed.
Statistical Data
Height: 5'
Width: 8'
Length: 15'
Weight: 2 tons
Power System: Nuclear; 10 year life span.
Market Cost: 820,000 Credits.
1. Systems of Note:
1. Dash Mounted Radio: 20 mile range.
2. Air and Ground Radar: 20 mile range with a terrain following system.
3. (Optional) Pintle Mount: At a cost of an additional 1,000 credits a pintle mount may be fitted to the Banshee to accomodate weapons up to 200 Lb. in weight.
The image above is reprinted, with permission, from R. Talsorian Games Inc. Cyberpunk 2020®'s Sourcebook Maximum Metal. In the sourcebook it is seen as the EEC Airjeep, a common military hover car. All rights remain reserved by R. Talsorian Games Inc., and SirTenzan's RIFTS Gallery acknowledges and respects these rights. This image is reprinted as a means of creating a wonderful new vehicle for RIFTS, using the spectacular artistry of R. Talsorian Games Inc. illustrators.
