[HazardGM]

According to Rigger 3 small rotary wing UAVs are about the size of a toy model aircraft. An Electric fuel cell engine has a max load of 400 kg, plenty to lift a human off the ground. Would it be feasible to create a small packpack sized drone that you could use to fly?

A large Anthroform drone has 2 legs and 2 arms, it's chassis has a max CF of 10. A bucket seat consumes 6 CF and 150 load (which a Electric fuel cell maxes off at 500) could you create power armor using vehicle hardened armor?

I wanted to create a drone that could both travel on ground and fly as fuel cunsumsion is outragious for flying drones. Any ideas? The rules for auxiliary engines seem appropriate but how would you choose the chassis?

I'd like to hear some of your imput thanks.

[Billy_Club]

You mean like this?

Crazy flying pack that will get you shot to pieces

[savaze]

We tried something like that a few times in a 3rd ed game.  IRL it wouldn't happen, because something that small doesn't have enough lift produced to handle the load, plus the airframe would fall apart in the trying.  The extra weight is usually for whatever can be carried internally or for added speed and maneuverability.  Since SR is missing a lot of critical info it's really a GM's call.

Example: CH-47 Chinook's engine and rotors are rated a lot higher than what the airframe can handle.  That gives it a higher operating altitude, faster laden/unladen speed, and better maneuverability in general.  In a pinch you could go past the weight limits on the airframe, if balanced correctly, but I wouldn't do it for long because the fuselage would start to warp and add vibrations and vibrations mess with flight characteristics (critical vibration and ground resonance are very real problems in rotor craft).

[HazardGM]

Thanks for the input. So if a seat could fit inside, say on a medium sized drone it would make more sense.

That makes what I thought up for question 3 not work. I was thinking of making an medium walker with a small Vectored thrust UAV bolted to the back so it could fly out of a situation.

[savaze]

Does it have to be a drone?  I suppose that you could make a drone specifically suited to being your getaway vehicle.  I guess you're looking to make a 3e version of Daihatsu-Caterpillar Horseman (tricycle) with a rotorsystem...

[HazardGM]

For the combined concept it's a bit of both,

A drone that could both move on the ground and fly would be really handy, it could operate longer on land transportation without the hovering fuel consumtion and it would be easier to lose a tail so that I don't lead them back to my command and control center

Flying in seattle would attract to much attention so a ground vehicle is the main mode of travel, but when you're being chased but a bunch of gangers or some corp thugs it would be fun to just take to the air and lose the suckers

[The_Gun_Nut]

We tried something like that a few times in a 3rd ed game.  IRL it wouldn't happen, because something that small doesn't have enough lift produced to handle the load, plus the airframe would fall apart in the trying.  The extra weight is usually for whatever can be carried internally or for added speed and maneuverability.  Since SR is missing a lot of critical info it's really a GM's call.

Example: CH-47 Chinook's engine and rotors are rated a lot higher than what the airframe can handle.  That gives it a higher operating altitude, faster laden/unladen speed, and better maneuverability in general.  In a pinch you could go past the weight limits on the airframe, if balanced correctly, but I wouldn't do it for long because the fuselage would start to warp and add vibrations and vibrations mess with flight characteristics (critical vibration and ground resonance are very real problems in rotor craft).

The pack that he's talking about exists IRL, and it works (although expensive).  So in 60 years or so, materials technology should allow for a drone to have both abilities quite easily.

Flying drones are ubiquitous in Seattle, given the number of them Lone Star uses to patrol high density areas.  I imagine they would be used in less savory areas as well, as one doesn't have to risk valuable personnel in such places.  The downside to such places is that signal strength now becomes an issue, as those areas often do not possess enough wireless coverage to extend very far.  Plus, folks in the Barrens don't pay taxes anyway, so why should Lone Star care about them?

[savaze]

The pack that he's talking about exists IRL, and it works (although expensive).  So in 60 years or so, materials technology should allow for a drone to have both abilities quite easily.

I was inferring to suspending from a drone, not the pack... Some rotory-wing vehicles aren't designed to handle sling loads without serious retro-fitting.  That and a toy model with the ability to carry 400 kg still wouldn't be able carry a human sized load.  Consider that the toy-sized drone is 700mm fuselage with a 440mm radius rotor. You just don't sling load things bigger than the helicopter, because the load swings and settles into a rhythm that controls how well you can fly or in some cases not fly.  Again there is a lot of critical info left unknown so it all goes into the GM's lap.