Aircraft Transmission

Today I was given a tour of RDA's primary assault vehicle for nearly all terrain---the GAV JL-723. They call it the Swan because the platform is gyrostabilized so when the it travels over rough terrain, the gunner platform is stabilized. The extended gunner's chair can rise up to 3.6 meters above the vehicle to see over obstructions between the gun and the target, like the long neck of a swan. The gunner must ride high and unprotected, making him a primary target for the enemy and vulnerable to the smallest attack.
The six tires also have little armor protection, but are themselves made from a hybrid polymer blend, with titanium strands woven throughout, which make them very tough to puncture. For the under carriage, they've designed a 1.25-centimeter thick permalloy armor that expands to two-thirds of an in inch beneath the chassis to protect against the shrapnel from mines.
To protect the driver and spotter, a rudimentary roll bar exists, but it's rare that a Swan rolls over due to the stability of its gyroscopic system. Should it ever happen, gunners have learned from experience it is better to release the safety harness and jump clear, if there is enough time.
Another defensive vehicle shown to me was the SA-2 Samson, a twin-turbine V-TOL rotorcraft. An aerial transportation truck designed to carry out mostly non-combat missions. Its weaponry consists of two stub- wing pods configurable for small missile launchers. These stub wing pods can fire either air-to-air or air- to-ground missiles. The Samson is also equipped with manned hydra and 30 caliber guns that are mounted on the side doors.
The Samson has been in use on Earth for decades. Its various trial runs in Antarctica, the Himalayas, and Honduras proved the aircraft could fly well in thin or thick atmospheres or in extreme temperatures with minimal maintenance. So when the R-D-A needed a reliable and sturdy aerial workhorse, they naturally chose the field-tested Samson and hardened its electrical system to prepare it for the rigors of Pandora.
The cargo bay was never pressurized for use on Pandora. Should humans decide to ride in the rear bay, exopacks are required to breathe...and survive.