AV-14 Attack VTOL

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The AV-14 Attack VTOL^[2], colloquially known as the "Hornet", is a United Nations Space Command atmospheric assault vehicle. It is armed with two Class-2 Guided Munition Launch Systems, each including a missile launcher and a tri-barreled chain-gun. It is also capable of carrying two passengers in lateral jump-seats, who are highly exposed.

Appearance & Use

The Hornet consists of a one-man cockpit, which makes up most of its mass, and a rear section extending a meter, or so, backward. From the top of this rear section are a set of wings with what appear to be jet engines/turbo fans at the ends, providing the Hornet's main source of propulsion. It also seems to possess TADS [Target Acquisition and Designation System] gear on the nose similar to modern attack helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache. On each side of the cockpit is a jump-seat extending backward (doubling as a landing skid), which allows up to 2 Spartans to fire from the sides (the vehicle can actually carry four regular marines, according to the Halo novel Contact Harvest). It's slightly longer in length than the Covenant Banshee, and its wingspan is larger as well.^[3] Unlike the Banshee, the Hornet can remain stationary in the air, but it lacks the evasive maneuvers of the Banshee and cannot train its weapons on targets.

The controls for the Hornet appears to be similar to those of a helicopter, suggesting that as turbine-driven VTOL craft became more practical, they replaced helicopters. The Hornet is most likely used in a supporting role to larger VTOL craft, such as the Pelican Dropship or the Sparrowhawk, though the latter carries heavier armaments at the expense of being unable to ferry soldiers. The Hornet is generally used in the role of a gunship, or a close air support aircraft (much like the modern-day Mil Mi-24 "Hind") as it's able to both transport soldiers and support them (like the AH-6 Little Bird).

Appearances

File:1210056319 SpecOps Teamwork.jpg

A Hornet in the Halo 3 Campaign level The Covenant.

Hornets appear only in Halo 3. They are first seen at the beginning of Crow's Nest. Though Hornets are visible fighting Banshees for most of the early levels, they are only available for use by the player twice, both times in the campaign level The Covenant. In the first appearance, they are used to move quickly from one location to another, with air-to-air combat in between. Later in the mission, they prove to be particularly useful in regards to taking down two Scarabs as they can hover in position to destroy the power core or remove any Brutes and Grunts on the Scarab or on nearby vehicles. The Hornet can be used in Halo 3 Multiplayer. The default version is exclusively available in custom games. Avalanche, included in the Legendary Map Pack, features a snow white Hornet which will be used in matchmaking. The snow Hornet has toned-down machine guns and loses the ability to fire missiles. Bungie stated they wanted it to be less of a "flying death platform" than a suppressive support vehicle.

The Hornet will also appear in the upcoming game Halo Wars as a light recon/transport aircraft. It is capable of engaging both ground and air targets and can take extra marines on the platforms to supplement its fire power.

History

Hornet war — A Squadron of Hornets supported by a Sparrowhawk attempt to protect a number of Pelican dropships from a Scarab Tank

Hornets were used as early as 2524, during Operation: TREBUCHET when they were used to ferry Marine strike teams from target to target, as well as evacuating wounded men. In Halo: Contact Harvest, Sergeant Johnson used an M99 Stanchion Gauss Rifle mounted on the wing of the Hornet he was riding on. It was attached to the stub-wings by a fibrous cord and he could free-aim it. Given the recoil of this weapon, it is most likely that it was mounted on an armature or pintail mount, suggesting other weapons such as M247 GPMGs could be mounted for passenger use.

Hornets had not been observed after that until much later, during the Second Battle of Earth in 2552. They provided air cover throughout the battles at New Mombasa and Voi. Several Hornets were later brought to the Ark and fought against enemy Banshee formations during the Battle of the Ark.

Armament

In respect of weapons, the Hornet is similar to its Covenant cousin, featuring both anti-infantry and anti-vehicle weapons. These consist of two three-barreled retractable rotary chain guns, which seem similar to the AIE-486H Heavy Machinegun, mounted on either side of the cockpit, on the underside of the wings. The anti-vehicle capabilities of the Hornet comprise of two six-missile pods on the underside of the jump seats, which fire dual missiles much like those fired by the Missile Pod; however, the missiles are weaker and easier to avoid. However, like those of the missile pod, they lock onto enemy vehicles and turrets and have a slight homing ability. Though the missiles' tracking systems aren't as good as the Missile Pod, they are still capable of destroying all ground vehicles with four to six missiles. Also, given the high altitude that you are flying at, it is very likely that the missiles will come down more or less on top of the target, making them difficult to avoid in maps such as Sandtrap which have uncluttered skies and little ground cover. It may also be able to mount various turrets and special-applications weapons, but this is not possible in game. In the novel Halo: Contact Harvest, Johnson uses a Gauss weapon some what like the Gauss rifle on the Gauss Warthog.

Armor

The Hornet is very resistant to small arms fire. However, the machine gun/plasma cannon and the armaments on the Warthog are capable of doing heavy damage to it. A Gauss cannon can destroy a Hornet in three consecutive hits. Wraith mortars and Scorpion rounds are both one hit kills if they hit near the cockpit, otherwise, they will simply drain your shield. Rockets and Spartan Lasers are able to destroy Hornets with one shot. Missile Pods require three to four hits. When a Hornet sustains enough damage, the windshield will crack and shatter, leaving the pilot open to sniper fire.

Hornetthruster — A close up of a Hornet's propulsion system while active.

Hornet Versus Banshee

The Hornet is commonly said to be far superior to its Covenant counterpart, the Banshee. In many ways, this is true. For example:

A Hornet's rotary chain guns are more effective against vehicles than a Banshee's plasma cannons.
Hornets can hover, while Banshees are always moving forward slightly.
Hornets can carry passengers, and are much harder to hijack than Banshees.
Hornets are more durable than Banshees, offering the pilot more protection.
Hornet's missiles have lock-on capabilities while the Fuel Rod Gun on the Banshee does not, except in Campaign, where the Banshee's Fuel Rod Gun slightly homes in on its target.

However, Banshees do have some advantages over the Hornet:

A Banshee has evasive rolls and flips to avoid enemy fire. Lacking these, Hornets are easier targets.
Hornets lack a boost, which can propel the Banshee across a map very quickly, or flee a battle.
A Banshee's ordnance can inflict more damage to a vehicle than the Hornet's rockets
Hornets cannot turn quickly, while Banshees can. If a Hornet is being fired at from the rear, it is an easy target
Hornets are said to have 'fiddly' controls and for this reason many players prefer a banshee to a hornet
If the glass hood of the Hornet is damaged, then then the pilot is extremely vulnerable to sniper fire. A rather easy shot to the head from such a weapon could finish off a distracted pilot with ease. A Banshee, in comparison, is exceedingly difficult to damage with a sniper rifle.

Halo 3 Hornet Strategies

The Hornet is a new vehicle for Halo 3, and is one of the best in the game if used correctly. In campaign, the Hornet dominates all battles it enters with its accurate and effective chain-guns, as well as its guided missiles. While in matchmaking on the level Avalanche, however, the Hornet lost the use of its missiles, is painted a snow camouflage color scheme and is faster. However, it remains a great transport, assault, and support vehicle, and can change the face of a battle if used well. Here are a list of strategic tips for both pilots and troops riding on the wings of Hornets.

Strategies for pilots

The Hornet can only take so much damage before going down. Three missile pod rockets or a single blast from a Spartan Laser will take one out. Therefore, if you hear that awful beeping sound signaling that you are being tracked or the charging sound of the laser, it is key to monitor how much health you have before making the decision to stay flying, or to drop out of the air. If you have full health, stay airborne no matter where you are. If you are at about half health, jump if you are over your base or a friendly area, but not if you are over an enemy base or behind enemy lines. If you are beeping red and you hear that missile pod tracking you, jump wherever you are. It is better to take your chances on the ground than to die a certain death in the air. However if you stay with the Hornet you can deny its use to the opposing team, as it will be destroyed with you.

Marines riding on a Hornet can point out things like enemy tanks, warthogs, banshees, etc. so the pilot can decide how best to attack the enemy vehicles.

Hornets are about as fast as a Mongoose. However, since they are airborne and there are no obstacles, they are easier to hit than a Mongoose with a laser. If you are piloting or riding and see the red light or the red guiding tracker of a laser, tell your crew and drop out as fast as you can.

While it is not overly recommended due to the small field of view, a passenger with a Spartan Laser or Rocket Launcher could easily replace the lack of missiles on the snow-Hornet. Even so, the fact that any would-be passengers are incredibly vulnerable to even small arms fire, this is not a recommended tactic.

Like the Mongoose, the Hornet can be used for rapid relocation of a sniper, and also serves an excellent flag carrier, being a more durable and harder to hit target than a Mongoose or a Warthog.

Do not engage Warthogs with the Hornet unless you have a range advantage, or the element of surprise. The Warthog's turret can easily rip an overzealous Hornet to shreds. However, attacking a Wraith while in a Hornet is recommended, as the Wraith's arcing shot make it difficult to line up with a flying target and hit. Fall back if there's someone in the Wraith's turret though, it can damage you like the Hog's turret.

Remember, the Hornet does not barrel roll. Therefore, when your HUD flashes, make sure to "Dive, Dive, Dive!".

Skilled pilots may decide to use the Hornet much like the Pelican, in that you could use the Hornet to drop off team mates near strategic locations. Be wary if using this tactic near enemy bases, as you are more than guaranteed to get shot at.

If a team mate has a spartan laser it would increase the fire power if they were to ride but they would only be able to cover one side of the hornet so while shooting turn the player more likely to see an enemy.

The Snow Hornet

Bungie announced that the Legendary Map Pack will include a Snow Camouflaged Hornet. The new version of the Hornet is camouflaged white for usage on the snow-covered Avalanche map. Bungie has removed its missiles and weakened its chain-guns (e.g. the Snow Hornet's chain-guns are weaker then those of the Warthog chaingun), shifting the Hornet from an aggressive assault vehicle to a more conservative air support/transport unit.^[4] These alterations will even out dogfights with the Covenant Banshee, giving the Banshee a chance against this new Hornet in the air, instead of the Hornet acting as a practically unstoppable "hovering platform of death." During testing of the new map Avalanche it has been used as a very effective transport vehicle for teams during CTF and Assault games. It has also been noted to be faster than its normal counterpart, probably to make up for the loss of firepower.

Also, the Snow Hornet has a small vertical stabilizer behind and between the machine guns (see the image above), a feature the normal Hornet lacks.

Trivia

If you want to get better at piloting Hornets in Halo 3 Multiplayer, a good practice approach is to play the level "The Covenant" on legendary from Rally Point Alpha, and strictly use your twin-machine gun turrets, not your homing missiles. This really helps if you want to improve your dog fighting skills.
It is mentioned in Halo: Contact Harvest.
The Hornet bears a indubitable resemblance to its namesake insect with the "wings" growing slightly wider towards the end (like a real hornet's wing) and with the personnel jump seats mimicking the long back legs that often trail behind the posterior of the insect.
The Hornet is capable of fitting three Spartans in Halo 3, but Hornets can carry four UNSC Marines for insertion operations ^[5].
Due to the presence of a winch at the rear of the aircraft, it has been suggested that a Mongoose could be carried under the hull of the Hornet.
The Hornet may be able to glide/swim on water or snow due to having a ski-like sled on the bottom.
Unlike Spartans, Elites will not hold onto the handle bars when they get into the passenger seat.
A funny glitch that can be seen in Campaign is when the Arbiter (Character) sits in a hornet, his feet stick out on the bottom.
In the November 2007, issue #76, of The Official Xbox Magazine, on page 42, a note at the bottom of the page mentions the Hornet will be seen in the upcoming Halo Wars.
The regular Hornet has twin-machine gun turrets and missiles for its weaponry. However, the 'Snow Hornet' only has the twin-machine gun turrets. Bungie stripped the "Snow Hornet" of its missiles to balance out the map, Avalanche, as having it would prove to be overpowered. How ever in Forge on the maps Sandtrap and Valhalla the Hornet is available fully armed.
It is possible to pilot (but not fly) the wreckage of a Hornet. Just throw a spike or plasma grenade at the hornet then enter the cockpit, if timed right you will be in a wrecked Hornet. If not timed right, you'll die.
On Legendary, Hornet missiles do hardly any damage to a Scarab.
On Avalanche, the Hornet is covered in a snow camouflage instead of the normal green.
In Halo Wars, it seems the Hornet doesn't use it's twin mini guns, but rather a third mini gun mounted directly under it's nose.