| rdfs:comment | - Hover platforms, or foot speeders were a type of personal repuslorcraft available during the Galactic Civil War.
- A Hover platform (known occasionally as a flight platform, hover disk, or flight disk) is an old form of hover transportation from the early days of the Frontier that is still in use by budget-conscious adventurers, a few corporations, and on the “frontier of the Frontier” by colonists and civilian exploration teams. They are not normally found in more developed areas, as their slow speed and relative lack of maneuvrability interfere with traffic patterns.
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| abstract | - Hover platforms, or foot speeders were a type of personal repuslorcraft available during the Galactic Civil War.
- A Hover platform (known occasionally as a flight platform, hover disk, or flight disk) is an old form of hover transportation from the early days of the Frontier that is still in use by budget-conscious adventurers, a few corporations, and on the “frontier of the Frontier” by colonists and civilian exploration teams. They are not normally found in more developed areas, as their slow speed and relative lack of maneuvrability interfere with traffic patterns. Hover platforms are by no means high-performance vehicles. They are, however, cheap, stable (+20% to Control checks), and extremely reliable. The controls are basic and intuitive enough that anyone can quickly learn them (requires no Piloting skill). One- and two-man hover platforms consist of a single hoverfan, platform to stand on, controls, and a fairing to reduce wind resistance and provide a grip for the pilot's non-piloting hand as well as the passenger (if any). The fairing is made from the lightest material possible to reduce weight (does not count as “inside a vehicle” for combat purposes, but movement penalties still apply). Some models omit the fairing and provide only a basic rail for grip purposes. Normally, hover platforms do not offer protection from the elements. The larger, four-man version can be fitted with a basic hardshell canopy, or even more rarely, one made of cloth. The four-man hover platform consists of three hoverfans inside a saucer-shaped hull with bench seating for passengers and a surrounding rail for grip purposes. The rear seat can be removed entirely as well as half the front seat to turn the platform into a cargo carrier (up to 243 kg and ~five cubic meters, depending on configuration). Some models sacrifice 50 kg of cargo/passenger capacity by fitting a Type AA power generator and fuel, retaining the regular parabattery as a backup power-source. One popular option is a solar converter with the panels placed around the upper edge of the disc. This gives the vehicle virtually unlimited range in daylight as well as a reserve energy supply for overcast days and night operations.
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