Fulton STAR - SkyHook
A Last Resort

The riskiest of extraction techniques, used only in desperate circumstances, is the Fulton STAR (Surface To Air Recovery) system, also known as SkyHook. Devised by inventor Robert Edison Fulton Jr., SkyHook is a way of snatching a man on the ground to safety with a modified dropship flying overhead. Because of the hazards, extractions nowadays are done mainly on inanimate objects, such as cargo.

The SkyHook procedure begins when the dropship paradrops a package containing, among other things, custom clothing, a 500-foot (150 meter) length of special nylon rope, a balloon twenty-three feet (7 meters) long, and helium tanks to fill it. When all is ready on the ground, the aircraft returns for the pickup.

A man awaiting extraction by SkyHook begins by putting on the harness and attaching one end of the nylon rope to the risers on his harness. He then begins filling the balloon with helium. The balloon will take on the shape of a small dirigible when it has fully expanded. After he has filled the balloon with helium, he ties the 500 foot length of nylon rope to it and releases it. For night pickups, a string of flashing lights is tied the length of the rope. After that its all out of his hands, he just sits back and relaxes. As a precaution, he wears a parachute as well.

Flying at about 130 miles per hour (210 Kilometers/hour), the pickup aircraft meets the lift line just below the balloon that holds it aloft. A V shaped apparatus fixed to the nose of the aircraft guides the line toward a clamp in the center. In the event of a miss, cables stretching from each wingtip deflect the balloon tether away from the engines and wings.

The force exerted on the man being picked up causes him to rise nearly vertically for the first hundred feet, greatly reducing the danger of collision with trees and other obstacles. Stretch in the nylon line makes acceleration smooth and gentle at this point, but when stretch is exhausted, a powerful jolt occurs. Some who have experienced it say that they feel the harness suit will be ripped away.

Connected to the lift line by breakaway cords, the balloon is snapped free by the stress. As the aircraft speeds up, the lift line approaches the underside of the fuselage. At a speed of 130 mph, the lift line trails close to the belly of the aircraft. From the rear of the plane, crew members lower a hook by rope to catch the nylon tether. They then pull the line into the plane and attach it to a winch that reels it in.

Four minutes after the clamp at the nose of the aircraft seized the line, the man nears the recovery plane. A crew member stands tethered to the craft, ready to grab him as soon as he is inside.

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The Stats

SkyHook Suit Harness
Type: Specialized Harness
Cost: 200
Availability: 2

Capsule:
The harness is actually sewn into a nylon jumpsuit to increase strength and make it more comfortable for the wearer. The risers of the harness are attached to the nylon lift line, which the balloon has raised to a height of 500 feet. The suit can safely suspend a 250 pound man, anything over that has a high risk of the suit tearing.


Other SkyHook Equipment
Capsule:
The balloon is a normal plastic balloon available on most planets.

The nylon line used in SkyHook can support up to 600 pounds. It stretches to provide a smooth and gentle acceleration. After the stretch has been exhausted the line is at its most vulnerable, here is the likeliest place it will snap. Depending on the weight of the person, the line can near (or cross) the 600 pound maximum weight. This is caused by the drag of the person, combined with the stretch of the line itself. After the jolt, the line compresses again into its normal tension.


The Extraction Vehicle


Substitute your favorite vehicle here, it must be capable of accepting the V shaped attachment on its nose.

SkyHook Catcher Apparatus

Type: Catcher Apparatus
Cost: 400
Availability: 3

Capsule:
The V shaped apparatus attached to the nose of the aircraft takes an Easy Mechanical roll to attach properly. The cables running from the apparatus to the wingtips (or widest part of craft) also take an Easy Mech roll.
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This is an original work by Ross Hedvicek