the shape of things to come

PTI’S HOT PRODUCTS: 3067
(SUPPORT VEHICLE REVIEW)
Hot Products is an annual review published by Product
Technologies, Inc. that provides unbiased evaluations of defense
industry technologies. Products for the private, corporate
and government sectors may be considered, but the
focus is on military craft, paramilitary vehicles and militarized
private-sector units. Anything from handheld electronics to
aircraft may be covered and all major industries are included.
To ensure a qualitative analysis, Hot Products accepts no
sponsorships or endorsements, and only production models
of current-year units are tested. However, the PTI board occasionally
permits pre-production designs. Manufacturers may
submit any design for consideration, though PTI retains the
right to refuse any submission.
This review, conducted by an impartial panel of experts,
evaluates twenty-six key factors and scores them on a sevenpoint
scale. As compared to other items in the same class, a
score of 1 indicates the worst performance, while a score of 7
indicates near-perfect performance. The following three categories
are presented in this summary:
Functionality: A measure of how the product performs
compared to the manufacturer’s specifi cations. Products that
score high in this area meet and consistently exceed the specs.
Quality: Evaluates the durability of the product with a focus
on normal use. Issues arising out of intentional misuse are not
scored, though they are tabulated to assess trends. Greater
durability receives a higher mark.
Value: Contrasts the product features with the MSRP. A
higher ratio of features to price merits a higher score.
The complete product review may be ordered, for immediate
electronic delivery, through ComStar and Word of Blake branch
offi ces throughout the Inner Sphere. It includes the full twentysix
point test results of every product in each category. As an
added bonus, all honorable mentions, “lemon” winners and
purchasing recommendations are included at no extra charge.
This special supplement focuses on support units. To be eligible
for consideration in this category, a unit must serve in a
role that does not involve direct front-line combat, and must
meet the requirements described for each category.
Each section opens with a brief discussion of the pertinent
criteria along with some anecdotal information on the classifi -
cation as a whole. Select units are presented for eight platforms:
Airship, Fixed-Wing, Hovercraft, Naval Vessel, Tracked Vehicle,
VTOL, Wheeled Vehicle, and WiGE. The term support vehicle
has been used in reference to a broad range of platforms, and
PTI is proud to include thirty diff erent categories, including satellites
and IndustrialMechs in the unabridged review.
PTI off ers a full line of reviews for the private and corporate
sectors, and in-depth analysis of military vendors. The Inner
Sphere Manufacturer’s Rating (ISMR) is the de facto standard
for vendor reliability in the Inner Sphere. PTI’s Quarterly
Champions showcases the best in emerging products, and
Lemon Lookout puts the spotlight on products to avoid.
Corporate subscriptions are also available. Ask your sales representative
for further information or visit us online.
AIRSHIPS
This specialty market covers craft massing under 300 tons.
These craft must be aerostatic constructions producing lift
through lighter-than-air gas. Rigid airframe craft, like zeppelins,
and non-rigid airframe craft, such as blimps, are given
equal consideration.
Military dirigibles frequently serve as transport craft,
though recent trends indicate that surveillance applications
are becoming more popular. Airships are fragile in comparison
to combat craft, and maneuvering challenges often keep
them out of battle. Nevertheless, many airships are armed
with anti-personnel weapons, and some support airships
mount anti-’Mech weapons like the Delta Dart series of LRM
launchers.
Monza Light Cruise Liner (Federated-Boeing Interstellar)
One of several private-sector craft in this year’s review,
the Monza is the newest product from Federated-Boeing
Interstellar. Based on Galax in the Federated Commonwealth,
Federated-Boeing is renowned for its aerospace product
lines, including the new Overlord-A3 and upgraded Leopard
CV DropShips. A diverse corporation, Federated-Boeing has
products in many aircraft market segments.
The Boeing subsidiary on Tiber has been manufacturing
large cargo airships for decades, but only began producing
the Monza two years ago as a smaller extension of the
Corvair line. Despite its recent market entry, the Monza is
rapidly becoming a favorite pleasure craft among the power
elite of the Free Worlds League. A reliable Nimakachi F-7 fi ssion
engine—smaller and lighter than the Corvair’s VOX—
provides quiet operation and acceptable cruising speeds,
while considerable shielding eliminates any danger of radioactive
contamination. Though Monzas can accommodate
up to twenty-fi ve passengers comfortably, they are usually
deployed with larger fi rst-class facilities that reduce the passenger
complement to fi fteen.
Boeing could not provide a production model for evaluation,
but they did permit our testing team to spend a week
aboard a Monza 102. This new ’67 luxury model supplements
the standard hand-carved wood inlays with gold fi ligree, and
includes numerous opulent accoutrements throughout. One
tester raved (at length) about the platinum-bedecked bidet
in her suite. The professionalism of the service staff was on
par with expectations.
Functionality: μμμμμ
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INTRODUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
BASICS
BATTLEMECH
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRIALMECH
CONSTRUCTION
PROTOMECH
CONSTRUCTION
COMBAT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
SUPPORT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
CONV. INFANTRY
CONSTRUCTION
BATTLE ARMOR
CONSTRUCTION
AEROSPACE UNIT
CONSTRUCTION
WEAPONS AND
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
INFANTRY WEAPONS
AND EQUIPMENT
COSTS AND
AVAILABILITY
BATTLE VALUE
INDEX
RECORD SHEETS
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