Question about Icarus Flight System

[dpowers99]

i was wondering if anyone can clear this up for me can a Headhunter with partial bionic conversion use the Icarus Flight System?

[Curbludgeon]

A Headhunter is described as a "partial cyborg" in RUE. The Black Talon Combat Pilot Advanced Training program (Heroes of Humanty, pp 82-3) has a note which is relevant when compared to the Flight System Combat skill in RUE, stating how Headhunters get a bonus to this skill, which normally has a penalty for classes which aren't augmented: "(T)he usual penalties for ordinary pilots who are not "augmented" apply (not a Juicer, Crazy, or Cyborg). Those are usually found under the vehicle description, but generally -20% for ordinary humans. Note: Augmented humans like Juicers, Headhunters and Combat Cyborgs get an additional +10% Flight System Combat bonus from AT."

As for those Headhunters which aren't partial conversion it's less clear. Members from those species with Bio-Regeneration might have the sort of endurance and reflexes for it to make sense for the skill to not have a penalty, while Robo-Slammers with primarily Bio-Systems might not. Even in the latter case, should the character have the Black Talon training I'd say the +10% class bonus would partially offset the -20% penalty.

[drewkitty ~..~]

i was wondering if anyone can clear this up for me can a Headhunter with partial bionic conversion use the Icarus Flight System?

If they have the Pilot; Flight systems skill...yes.
Use it as well as a juicer...nope.

[Aermas]

Piggybacking off of this question because now I'm curious. If a TW converted an Icarus, could they use their TW piloting skill?

[Orin J.]

i don't think there's anything written about that, but i'm inclined to argue that as long as it maintains its performance, the specialized skill required by it supersedes the general TW floaties skill.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Piggybacking off of this question because now I'm curious. If a TW converted an Icarus, could they use their TW piloting skill?

you mean turning a flight system into a wing board magic item.....or to say it a different way....make their wing board magic item out of a flight system?
I think my phrasing says what my opinion is on the answer to that question.

[ShadowLogan]

i was wondering if anyone can clear this up for me can a Headhunter with partial bionic conversion use the Icarus Flight System?

Can a HH with partial bionic conversion use an Icarus Flight System (IFS)? Yes, with the following caveats:
1. as a PCB to make full use of the system they would need to have the necessary implants to grant them the required "toughness" equivalent to a Crazy or Juicer
2. non-FCB, Juicers, and Crazies equivalent of "toughness" is not required to operate the unit, however these pilots will restrict themselves to keep it within their "toughness" zone in terms of performance (that means slower accelerations, gentler turns). There is also the possibility of using G-suits like modern Fighter Pilots do, but that might be a lost technology (it should also be noted there are 2x other IFS like systems out there a 1x by the CS in WB13 and another 1x by Naruni in DB8, though the CS system is considered the "original")

Piggybacking off of this question because now I'm curious. If a TW converted an Icarus, could they use their TW piloting skill?

I think this is going to come down to what the TW modifications included. If it specifically impacts the IFS handling, I will say yes, but if it did not, I would say no.