Hardware (comics) - Transportation

Transportation

• Skylark: Hardware's primary means of transport is a "flying car" called the Skylark, which is a refinement of the Moller Skycar. This two-man aircraft can fly at speeds in excess of 400 mph thanks to a trio of rear-mounted 2500 horsepower Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines. Stability for the Skylark is provided by a pair of side-mounted 1200 horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines, which also granted it VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) capabilities. Hence, the Skylark can hover in the air or take off straight up like a helicopter.

The Skylark's cockpit boasts state-of-the-art computer systems for surveillance. The craft can receive and monitor police-band, shortwave, AM, FM, TV, and CB signals. The Skylark is linked to Hardware's armor, enabling him to remotely control its systems. He often uses this link to activate the Skylark's autopilot when he needs quick extraction from dangerous situations.

The Skylark's chassis is manufactured from a special epoxy resin composite, making it light enough to be lifted by a normal man. Despite its low weight, this composite is highly bullet-resistant; the Skylark’s windows are similarly bulletproof. The craft's armor is augmented by its self-repair systems that uses nano-robots to fix any damage suffered during battle. If the Skylark is too heavily damaged, Hardware can bail out using the ejector seat.

Another benefit of the Skylark's mostly non-metallic construction is its virtual invisibility to conventional radar. Furthermore, the Skylark has an active counter-radar matrix that absorbs and broadcast false signals, causing more sophisticated radar systems to mistake the craft for anything from a bird to a civilian or military jet. These features along with its special noise suppression technology enable the Skylark to remain in place unseen and unheard for hours. Curtis later equipped the Skylark with cloaking technology that makes the craft as invisible to the naked eye as to electronic detection.

Though designed to avoid enemies, the Skylark is well prepared for battle. The craft has a pair of spindles under its fuselage on which Hardware can mount multiple weapons packages. For defense, the Skylark has chaff and flare dispensers to counter radar-seeking and heat-seeking missiles, respectively.

Hardware sometimes uses a larger version of the Skylark called the Skytank. As implied by its name, the Skytank possessed heavier armor to withstand more punishment. Because of its greater weight, the Skytank has six side-mounted 1200 horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines to provide stability and VTOL capabilities. If the Skytank is severely damaged in battle, the craft has an ejector seat that converts into a metal hang glider (a "soft landing module"). Despite these differences, the Skytank shares many of the features of the standard Skylark.

• Jet-Pack (formerly): Hardware's Jet-Pack was a personal short-range propulsion rig with turbine thrusters that gather the surrounding air, then expel it in a continuous stream. The original jet pack was designed for his Version 1.0 armor and was controlled via the suit's on-board computer ("Obie"). Because of the heat and thrust generated, Hardware had to replace most of the rig every three uses, allowing him to regularly experiment with new designs. He often used such experimentation to improve the Jet-Pack's fuel efficiency when used at maximum thrust. As a result, he eventually increased its maximum flight time from over 3 minutes to several minutes.

The second Jet-Pack was designed for the Version 2.0 armor and was controlled via DOBIE. Built with the full cooperation and resources of Alva Technologies, this rig was much sturdier and more dependable, enabling him to use it almost indefinitely with regular maintenance. At maximum thrust, the Version 2.0 Jet Pack had enough fuel to keep Hardware airborne for 20 minutes. Hardware increased the rig's flight time to over an hour by adding insulation made of "smart ceramic" developed by Hard Company.