Finch Scientific Flier
From Reach
One of the few flying vehicles capable of navigating Reach's dangerous airspace, the Finch is a rare luxury, available only to the most powerful.
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Locomotion
The Finch runs on a pair of jet engines, modified for Reach's thick atmosphere. These can be directed downward to hover or perform VTOL maneuvers, or directed aft and combined with a pair of retractable wings. These two configurations give the Finch the best of both worlds, high speed, high efficiency travel, and the ability to perform delicate, low speed maneuvers at will.
Design
The Finch is a two-person flier. Both crewmen sit back to back in a forward cockpit. The pilot faces forward, while the second crewman navigates and manages the Finch's payload: a sophisticated cartographic package, responsible for much of the mapping that's been done on Reach. The Finch explores, scouts, and, on occasion, spies.
Cost and Maintenance
Finch's are strictly Earth Tech, and cannot be manufactured or maintained on Reach. Every Colonial Lander was issued several hundred of the vehicles, but very few remain in working order currently. A Finch would fetch a king's ransom if a buyer could be found.
Customizability
Finch's are packed with sensitive equipment, and custom jobs are not recommended. Attempts to mount extra gear, including weapons, communication arrays, and other equipment, meet failure more often than success for purely technical reasons.
Miscellaneous
Capable Finch pilots are almost as rare as Finch's. One notable pilot: Guan-Yin Ackerman, made a name for herself performing aerial stunts in Reach's dangerous winds. She was a planetary celebrity, and is responsible for the mapping of many regions that lesser pilots dared not approach. However, her most famous mission was destined to be her last. In an act of singular bravado, she flew her Finch directly into a chemical storm, attempting to gather samples for scientific study. She, the flier, and her navigator were never seen again.
