Name: Aerial Booster
Cost: $8,000
Weight: 8 tons
Function: Speed/Maneuverability Enhancement
Mounts On: All Aerial Zoids (Except the Dragonfly Stinger)
Mounting Locations:
--On all zoids, it mounts to the lower back. This part cannot be mounted with any other EP Part.
In Brief: The Aerial Boosters are designed to help aerial zoids achieve a higher top speed, while also granting them great maneuverability.

Any aerial pilot will tell you a simple truth: speed is king. Even the slightest difference in speed can allow the faster zoid to escape the slower. Ask them for another truth, and they'll tell you that the EP Corporation hates them- after all, aerial zoids have almost no modifications available to them.

Ask the EP Corporation, and they'll tell you that this is entirely untrue. And as they do so, they will scheme to part those aerial pilots from their hard-earned money by providing the modifications those pilots want.

How to make a speed booster for an aerial Zoid? An innovative and powerful boost like the Aerodynamic Advantage is out for technical reasons, but there's no force known to man that will keep the EP Corporation from a profit. The end result of their scheming? The Aerial Booster, a distant cousin of the Assault Booster. Mounting- obviously enough- to aerial zoids, it gives them an additional Mach .1 of speed and a mild agility increase. The booster was also streamlined to prevent drag issues.

At first glance, that doesn't seem like much. However, it's important to remember that the speed difference between the two premier dogfighters (the Raynos and the Storm Sworder) is only Mach .1. A similar number sperates the Battle Cougar and Orudios from their greatest prey, the Neo Gungyarados. The Redler, through its Booster Cannons, can reach a top speed of Mach 3.2, meaning the Aerial Boosters can put it on par with the Raynos and above the Storm Sworder. Bombers don't get quite as much of an edge, but every bit of speed decreases the time they need to reach their target, which any bomber pilot will tell you is a good thing.

The agility increase is also helpful. It's rather small, and not quite enough to put, say, the Storm Sworder on par with the Raynos. However, many aerial zoids hover around Redler-grade agility, so that small boost can swing a battle.

The downsides? Suprisingly few, other than the obvious fact that it cannot be mounted with another EP modification. Really, the biggest one is that the Booster comes complete with the nightmare of aerial zoids, the fuel line. It mildly increases the profile of the zoid it mounts to, but the booster is streamlined enough that it's not likely to get shot. It only has Redler-grade armor, though, so it doesn't take much to knock it out.

It may not be everything the aerial pilots want from the EP Corporation, but perhaps the fact that it is not a permanent modification is a sign of things to come. Or perhaps the EP Corporation is just trying to convince aerial pilots to buy the Basic Sensor Panel as well.