Acrodyne Aeronautics AV-4 Showcase

According to the Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. sourcebook, the AV-4 and AV-6 are manufactured by McDonnell-Douglass for different retailers. I would assume that they are all assembled at the McDonnell-Douglass plants in Long Beach, SoCal or in St. Louis, Missouri. Their engines are Pegasus II Ducted Thrust Turbofans probably manufactured at Allison Aeronautics in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are terrible fuel hogs using jet exhaust alone for lift and stability.

The Aerodyne Vehicle was introduced in the Second Central American War and was used primarily by the military. After the war, many corporations purchased surplus units, creating a demand and a market for commercial AVs. The AV-3 was the first non-military Aerodyne. It is about the size of a large car and was initially sold to civilian police departments. The AV-4 is a large van-sized vehicle about the size of a small bus or helicopter. The AV-6 is an armed version of the AV-4 usually used by corporations or police departments and some corporations. It uses two Pegasus engines for added speed and lift and boasts a chin-mounted gatling gun and wing-mounted rockets. The AV-7 was the first commercial-only Aerodyne. It is a large luxury vehicle used by corporates and government officials. AV-8s and AV-9s are newer military Aerodynes. They usually fill an assault or troop deployment role, a role still filled by helicopters.

Helicopters are more fuel efficient and have better range. Aerodynes, however, have better speed, more lift, and can operate in smaller areas. They are also more heavily armored than helicopters, and the engines are enclosed as opposed to the open rotor of a helo.

The newer Aerodynes, the UAAV and the AVX-9 Viper, are a radical depature in some ways, and in others are a step back. These new vehicles use a hybrid lifting-body design to take some load off of the thrusters which previously did all the work. The new design loses the cargo capacity of the older units in favor of speed, efficiency, and maneuverability. These designs harken back to the original Harrier Jumpjet, the grandfater of all modern Aerodynes, and look more like conventional aircraft than flying buses.

Following is a list of every illustrated AV-4 from nearly every sourcebook for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. and Cybergeneration. This list will soon include AV-7s AV-9s and other Aerodyne Vehicles.

I would assume this one is an European model as it was seen flying over London in the Eursource sourcebook.

This one belongs to the Coast Guard of Night City. It is apparently an AV-6 combat model due to it's nose-mounted gatling gun and wing mounted rocket pods.

Compare the above AV-6 to the one here. This one is either corporate or military. I'd say corporate owing to it's lack of wing-mounted rocket pods.

The AV-6 from Maximum Metal. Note the rocket pods and turreted gatling gun. Compare this AV-6 with the others pictured.

A Police model AV-3 belonging to Night City, but different from the one in the Chromebook. Note the nose-mounted gatling gun.

The AV-3 Aerocop from Chromebook 2. Compare this AV-3 to the one in Night City Sourcebook. The AV-3 also boasts ground wheels and can travel on the road with the rest of traffic.

This appears on the Night City Sourcebook cover. It is unarmed and unmarked and is likely a corporate AV-4 on a grey or black op.

This particular AV-4 is obviously a civilian model due to it's lack of obvious weaponry. It is seen twice, once in the original publishing of the main rulesbook and again in this picture, in the background getting refueled at a CHOOH4U in the Corporate Report vol. 3.

This appears to be either a corporate or an REO Meatwagon AV-4 because the one below is specifically marked as a Trauma Team AV-4.

This one is labelled in the rulesbook as a Trauma Team AV-4.

Ah, the luxury of an AV-7. Who wouldn't want to fly in style to the next corporate board meeting or that getaway in MexiCali?

The Tetracorp Fei Lien 100 Aerodyne from Chromebook 3. It represents common AV-7 type luxury and status.

The Mach series of AV-7 from Chromebook 3 was designed to be sexy and sleek sportster alternative to the otherwise clunky-looking AV models flying around.

The Swan from Chromebook 3 is an executive AV-7 built in by the Scandinavian Bloc.

The AV-8 Assault Aerodyne from Maximum Metal. It is probably the best looking combat Aerodyne in production.

The AV-9 Multi-Role Aerodyne from Maximum Metal. It's replaceable pods can be interchanged with troop carriers, Medical pods, Weapons and Ammo pods, etc. It is large and heavy, but can fill many different roles. This is a much better depiction of an AV-9 than it's original appearance in Chromebook 1.

The EEC Airjeep from Maximum Metal. It looks a lot like the Thing from Volkswagen. Compare the military model with the aftermarket conversion Family Flier.

The VMW Family Flier from Chromebook 2. This was the first affordable commercial Aerodyne. It was produced by VMW on aftermarket conversions of the EEC Airjeep military Aerodyne chassis.

The UAAV Cityhawk from Protect and Serve. This hybrid design sacrifices the cargo capacity of the other AVs in favor of efficiency and maneuverabilty. It is a Boeing design, which probably explains it's radical departure, and is intended to be an urban ground-air assault fighter available to municipal police forces. Don't mess with any police force that has one of these.

The Militech AVX-9C Viper from Corporate Report 2020 vol.2. This bizarre design sacrifices speed for range and economy. It was designed for ground-assault and troop support. It boasts a healthy complement of advanced air avionics and target acquisition systems. The engines are IEC MVB-Sidewinder Turbofans from Germany and are more fuel effiecient than their American cousins from Allison.

This futuristic looking Aerodyne appeared in the Virtual Front sourcebook for CyberGeneration. It apparently has the ability to fly sideways, at least for short periods of time.

This equally futuristic Aerodyne was flown/crashed by the Foxfire team in 2025 and appeared in the opening pages of CyberGeneration. Note the lack of ducted thrusters on this vehicle. How does it maneuver?