Ugly, Ugly, Ugly!, R3 vs. SR 3rd - What's a VTA look like? Options

[MachineProphet]

Yes, I know I sweat the small things and the stuff in my campaign looks the way I describe it and my players imagine it, but I couldn't ignore this.

On page 139 of the core rulebook, you can see a picture. It's a picture of this massively, monstrously-amazing flying jet monster shooting up a car. I imagined that's what a VTA looked like.

Then I picked up Rigger 3. Just this morning, actually. On the cover, the vehicles look fairly decent. I imagine that's a Wasp front-and-centre, and that white police vehicle, I'm guessing, was a different sort of VTA. Dumb colour scheme, but it certainly looks about right - it still appears to turn with its jet engines.

Then, we get to a later page. Around page 160, we start getting pictures of all these trains, planes, and things that go. I see the motorcycles, I like. I see the cars, I like. (I'm designing a Rigger character who loves motorcycles as an exercise, and I considered making him a T-Bird jockey as well.) Page 183 shows us a picture of a helicopter which I am guessing is the heavy attack whirly-bird, again of sublime coolness. Then I'm made to sit through ships and submarines, but my patience is unbroken. Finally, we reach the page, that which I have long sought - page 190.

It was then my heart shattered like a piece of glass.

Look at the T-Bird! LOOK at it! It's not a sleek, powerful, advanced aircraft! It's a flying cinderblock! It's a VW Bus with jet engines riveted underneath! And these things are supposed to outpace psycho motorcycles and go at 250 km/h? These things look like they'll soar through the air like a solar sail through mud.

So, good Dumpshockers, what is your opinion on the various visual interpretations of said vehicles?

[Arethusa]

Never pay attention to the illustrations. Don't agree? Open up the Aztlan source book and enjoy a full page illustration of rocket horse.

[Crusher Bob]

Yep, rather like a VW bus with some jet engines strapped onto the sides and/or bottom. Take a look at a chopped body, cut the rotors and the tail off, then strap from jets onto it.
For a slighly more artistic take, the 'dragonfly' look of the Hunter-Killers in the terminator movies is worth a look. Though they used shrouded rotors to move around.

[Kurukami]

Or better yet, take a look at the Sulacco's landing craft from Aliens. Although they are both from James Cameron...

[TinkerGnome]

Whatever sleekness you might expect from a T-bird, it ain't going to be that pretty. For one thing, the bird is caked in 15-21 points of armor. That's 2700-3780 kg of armor plating. For another, the thing relies on its massive jet engines to keep it aloft and steer. It can certainly blast past at 1000 km/h, but its aerodynamic properites are more of an afterthought (to provide extra lift at high altitudes) than anything else. Having it be stylized and attractive seems to be of secondary concern, seeing as how only a military op would generally need a flying tank.

[TheScamp]

[Lantzer]

I suppose If you want some sleeker VTs, you could borrow the pictures of civilian AVs from a CP2020 Cromebook. (Or would those be technically rotorcraft?)

[Birdy]