Editing D77-TC Pelican

{{Era|UNSC|HCW|Post}}
{{References}}
{{Center|For the Pelican from Halo 3, see [[D77H-TCI Pelican]]. For the Pelican introduced in Halo 4, see [[D79-TC Pelican]].}}
{{Ship Class Infobox
|image=[[File:H2AD77.jpg|350px]]
|name=Dropship 77-Troop Carrier
|manufacturer=[[Misriah Armory]]<ref>'''[[Halo: Arms Race]]'''</ref>
|line=Pelican
|class=Pelican Dropship 77-Troop Carrier
|length= 30.5 meters (100 ft) <br/> Troop Bay: 6.19 meters (20.3 ft)<ref>[[:File:Pelican-Abrams_Comparison.jpg|Image comparison]]</ref>
|width= Wingspan: 23.3 meters (76 ft) <br/> Troop Bay: 4.65 meters (15.3 ft)
|height=10 meters (33 ft)<br/>10.5 meters (34 ft) with landing gear<br/> Troop Bay: 3.23 meters (10.6 ft)
|mass=138 metric tons<ref name="Warfleet">''[[Halo: Warfleet]]'', pg. 44-45</ref>
|max accel=
|max speed space=
|max speed air=
|engine=*Four [[Fusion drive|hybrid fusion drives]] {{C|two primary, two secondary}}<ref name="Warfleet"/>
*Gravitic assist generator<ref name="Warfleet"/>
|slipspace drive=No
|slipspace speed=
|poweroutput=
|power= 
|shield gen=Heat and radiation shielding to protect occupants.
|hull=
|target=
|navigation=*Motion trackers<ref>'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]''</ref>
*[[Radar|RADAR]]/LIDAR detectors<ref name="Warfleet"/>
|avionics=
|armament=*Single or twin-linked nose-mounted projectile weapons: 
**[[M370 autocannon]] {{C|standard}}<ref name="EVG">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 135''</ref><ref name="The Flood">'''Halo: The Flood''', ''page 39''</ref> or
**[[40mm chain gun]]<ref name="TFoR">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 92'' (''"John sized up her armaments - dented and charred armor, a pair of old, out-of-date 40mm chain guns."'')</ref>  or
**large-caliber rotary machine gun<ref name="Halo 2">''Halo 2''</ref> 
*Two [[ANVIL-II Air-to-Surface Missile]] pods (eight missiles each) {{C|optional}}
*One optional aft-facing turret:
**[[AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun]] or
**[[M247 General Purpose Machine Gun]] or
**[[M460 Automatic Grenade Launcher]]<ref name="Warfleet"/> or 
**[[M68 Gauss cannon]]<ref name="Warfleet"/>
|complement=10-20 passengers; in addition to:
*One [[M808 Main Battle Tank|M808 main battle tank]] or
*One [[M12 Force Application Vehicle|M12 force application vehicle]] or
*Four to six [[resupply canister]]s or
*One [[troop deployment pod]] or
*One [[deployable bridge]]<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Tip of the Spear]]''</ref>
|crew=*One [[pilot]]
*One co-pilot
*One crew chief
|skeleton=One pilot with an AI
|passengers=Ten seats in internal troop bay amidships, plus five people standing (these numbers are doubled in case the ship carries a [[troop deployment pod]]).
|capacity=
|consumables=Enough fuel for two ground-to-orbit trips<ref name="Warfleet"/>
|othersystems=
|role=Dropship, gunship
|era=
|introduced=[[2392]]<ref name="Halo Waypoint: Pelican">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/vehicles/pelican '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Pelican'']</ref>
|affiliation=United Nations Space Command
}}

The '''D77-TC Pelican''', formally known as the '''Dropship 77-Troop Carrier''' and commonly known as the '''Pelican''', is an extremely versatile space-to-ground capable craft used by the [[United Nations Space Command]], mainly for the pickup and transportation of personnel, vehicles and equipment, as well as a powerful gunship.

The D77-TC Pelican is mainly responsible for the rapid insertion and extraction of troops, vehicles, and equipment to the battlefield. The D77-TC has been in service for over fifty years, and is the primary tactical support aircraft of the UNSC. The Pelican serves a multi-role purpose; it is fully capable of atmospheric flight and can land almost anywhere without difficulty. The Pelican is also capable of limited spaceflight, which the UNSC uses as a primary way of delivering troops to the surface from orbit. The UNSC also uses Pelicans as civilian vehicles for quick evacuations.<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Exodus]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Uprising'''</ref>

The Pelican's standard armament consists of one Class III externally powered projectile weapon at the fore of the vehicle, and one Class I gas-operated projectile weapon mounted at the rear, in the extended crew area. More heavily armed variants exist, and the Pelican can be converted to a gunship role with the addition of numerous and more powerful weaponry.<ref>'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Shutdown]]''</ref>

==Design==
===Crew and Complement===
The pelican is crewed by two personnel who occupy the tantem cockpit at the front of the dropship. The [[pilot]] sits on the right side, with the electronics operator or gunner taking up the station on the left. All flight controls are a digital fly-by-light with no manual backups; an integral expert system optimizes stability and adjusts the thruster profiles under all regimes and cargo profiles. Unlike on the later [[D79-TC pelican]], the cockpit is only accessible from the cargo-bay. Motion trackers, [[Radar|RADAR]]/LIDAR sensors and a computerized mapping system allow the pilot to plan their way to nearby staging areas as well as to warn of incoming threats.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

The cargo-bay, colloquially dubbed by Marines as the "blood tray", usually accommodates up to ten personnel in jumpseats, with a small overhead compartment for their weapons and equipment. Additional infantry can be carried standing up, and increased seating for ten more people can be installed in the center aisle. Otherwise, this space can be used to carry cargo pallets, casualty litters, or even small utility vehicles such as two [[M274 Mongoose|M274 mongeese ULATV]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> The Pelican is also equipped with an onboard weapons locker, which can hold enough weapons and ammunition to arm thirty troopers.<ref name="secrets"/>. At least one pelican has been modified to act as a boarding craft for [[Operation: RED FLAG]], which has enough room to ferry twenty-five [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-IIs]] to their target, as well as carry the cutting gear needed to cut through the hull of a Covenant warship.

The large aft overhang provides a magnetic and physical attachment point for additional cargo and ordnance. Possible payloads include a [[troop deployment pod]], an [[M808B Main Battle Tank]], an [[M12 Force Application Vehicle]], or eight [[resupply canister]]s. It is discouraged for pilots to transport objects in the clamp during orbital insertions, as it can complicate reentry.<ref name="Warfleet"/>

===Armament===
The Pelican's primary armament consists of one or more nose-mounted projectile weapons, typically autocannons or machine guns. Commonly known as "chin guns" due to their placement,<ref name="EVG"/> these weapons are controlled via an Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System (IHADSS), which links to the pilot's or co-pilot's [[heads-up display]] and allows them to target the gun by head movements.<ref name="secrets"/><ref>'''Halo: the Flood''', ''page 77''</ref> The Pelican's standard armament is a chin-mounted [[M370 autocannon]], which is sometimes linked with another such weapon;<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 40''</ref> the M370 fires 70mm high-explosive armor-piercing (HEAP) rounds as standard ammunition, with depleted-Uranium slugs also being an option. This replaced the older [[40mm chain gun]] that was common prior to [[2525]].<ref name="TFoR"/> Some Marine Corps Pelicans are armed with a single a rotary machine gun instead of a chain gun.<ref name="Halo 2"/>

In addition to its primary armament, the Pelican has four externally-mounted missile hardpoints, which typically hold eight [[ANVIL-II Air-to-Surface Missile]]s. However, they can carry a variety of weapon systems or specialized equipment pods. A turret can be placed at the back of the cargo-bay to provide covering fire for embarking personnel, and can range from [[M247 General Purpose Machine Gun|machine guns]], to [[M460 Automatic Grenade Launcher|grenade launchers]], and even a [[M68 Gauss cannon|gauss cannon]].<ref name="Warfleet"/> While some weapons can be folded against the roof when not in use, others such as the [[AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun]] can not.

===Propulsion===
Pelicans utilize a complicated propulsion system that combines vectored-thrust fusion ram-rockets with air-breathing hyperfans, divided between two primary and two secondary articulated engine pods. While ideal for use in an atmospheric environment, they require a [[Hydrogen]] reaction mass in order to operate.<ref name="Warfleet"/> The two main engines have four nacelles each, two on the bottom and two at the back. The aft engines being similar but lack a nacelle at the bottom. Because both modules are mounted on rotating blocks, they can redirect themselves from directing the thrust downwards to any direction required. A basic gravitic control system is used in-atmosphere to supply further stability and supplementary lift.<ref name="Warfleet"/> Although fully capable of orbital transit, the D77 is too small to be equipped with a [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]], and is thus incapable of slipspace travel.{{citation needed}}

===Countermeasures===
The D77-TC Pelican, like most other UNSC aerospace vehicles, is fitted with a suite of countermeasures to warn the dropship of incoming attacks, break target locks, and mitigate the effects of electronic warfare. These include wide-spectrum flares, microdrone decoys, rainbow laser blinders, [[Radar|RADAR]]/LIDAR sensors, directional jammers, and "hard chop" guillotines on data processing modules that could be susceptible to cyber-intrusion agents.<ref name="Warfleet"/> To prevent them from being easily taken out by [[electromagnetic pulse]]s, the Pelican's electronic systems are hardened against such phenomena.

==Variants==
===D77H-TCI===
{{Main|D77H-TCI Pelican}}
The '''D77H-TCI''' appears nearly identical to the regular D77-TC except for being more angular. However, instead of the side-by-side positioning of the pilot and copilot, the pilot sits at the fore of the dropship, with the co-pilot behind him/her, and at a higher position, in tandem. The D77H-TCI is capable of sporting missile pods that are integrated directly into the wings rather than the externally mounted pods used by the D77.

===Law enforcement===
{{Main|D77C-NMPD Pelican}}
The ''D77C-NMPD'' is a variant of the D77H-TCI that was utilized by the [[New Mombasa Police Department]] in [[Kenya]], [[Africa]], on [[Earth]].<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us#/intel/theuniverse/tech/gallery/nmpd-pelican/a08fd318-4bef-4c32-9741-6d15b5f1180d?filter=all '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''D77C-NMPD Pelican'']</ref> It was differentiated from its military counterpart by a black and white color scheme, with the word "POLICE" replacing the traditional "MARINES" on the external hull, and a noted lack of armament. Under the craft's chin, where a machine gun turret or autocannon would normally be installed, were various interchangeable sensors used by the police for aerial surveillance and crowd control. An AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun was typically mounted in the personnel bay of the D77C-NMPD, similarly to the D77 and D77H models.

===G77S===
Building upon the versatile foundation of the venerable D77 airframe, the G77S Pelican is an impressive gunship design cooked up by [[Isabel]] and the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}'s engineers to help turn the tide of battle against [[Banished]] forces on the Ark. The G77S Pelican Gunship boasts a powerful range of armaments, including top-mounted ANVIL missile pods, four payload hardpoints, a forward M370 chaingun turret, and multiple 12.7mm Vulcan cannons.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/the-art-of-war-s '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Canon Fodder: The Art of War(s)'']</ref>

===UNSC Air Force variant===
The version of the Pelican used by the [[UNSC Air Force]] features a few major differences from other variants of the aircraft. First, the cockpit layout resembles that of the newer D77H-TCI model with the co-pilot's station located behind and above the pilot rather than side-by-side. Also, most Air Force Pelicans have chin-mounted [[M638 autocannon]]s rather than the 40mm or 70mm weapons typically mounted on Marine Corps Pelicans. Another difference seen in Air Force Pelicans is that the cockpit is not separated from the troop bay; instead the troop bay and cockpit form a larger interior space than on the Navy and Marine Corps Pelicans.{{citation needed}}

===D78 Pelican===
Although the [[D79-TC Pelican]] largely supplanted the D77 in post-war service, surviving hulls would be upgraded with improved avionics and thrusters, redesignated D78-TC and continuing to serve.<ref name="Halo Waypoint: Pelican"/><ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 112''</ref>
<gallery>
File:H3 - D77H-TCI.png|D77H-TCI Pelican
File:H3ODST-D77C-NMPD-PelicanDropship.png|D77C-NMPD Pelican
File:HW2 - G77S Pelican.jpg|G77S Pelican
</gallery>

==Identified Pelicans==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*[[Bravo 001]]
*[[Bravo 022]]
*[[Bravo 029 (Pelican)|Bravo 029]]
*[[Charlie 217]]
*[[Delta 15]]
*[[Echo 136]]
*[[Echo 206]]
*[[Echo 419]]
*[[Gamma 054]]
{{col-2}}
*[[Iron Fist]]
*[[Victor 933]]
*[[Victor 397]]
*[[Whiskey 035]]
*[[Whiskey 036]]
*[[Whiskey 037]]
*[[Whiskey 039]]
*[[Pelican 019]]
{{col-end}}

==''Halo: Fleet Battles''==
===UNSC Pelican Boarding Craft===
*Flight slots: 0
*Movement: 12"
*Damage track: 4
*Security detail: 2
*Systems loadout: Heroic save (Trooper)

==Trivia==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
*A pelican is a seabird, in keeping with the UNSC's tradition of naming atmospheric vehicles after real animals, with the exceptions of the [[Cyclops]] and [[Gremlin]], which are named after mythical creatures, and the [[Longsword]], [[Shortsword]], [[Sabre]], and [[Broadsword]] which are named after bladed weapons.
*All Pelican dropships in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' bear either the numbers E419 (''Echo 419'') or V933 (''Victor 933''). This was likely done to save resources during the development of the game.
*The Pelican shows clear inspiration from the ''UD4L Cheyenne'' dropship from the movie ''[[Wikipedia:Aliens|Aliens]]'', which [[list of references to Aliens in Halo|has inspired the ''Halo'' series in many ways]].
*In ''Halo 2'' gameplay, players can see the insides of the Pelican's cockpit, but no pilots are inside, despite they can be heard in COMs.
*There is a glitch in the ''Halo 2'' level ''Metropolis'' where the player can ride in a Pelican. It will take the player out of the map, flip, and eject the player. If the player attempts to right the flipped Pelican, the script will read "Hold X to flip Banshee", because Bungie never intended for the Pelican to be operable by the player, and therefore did not make a unique message. The Pelican's in-game physics will make it impossible to correctly and permanently flip the Pelican, as it will always reposition itself in an upside-down position.
*In ''Halo: Reach'', the player can pilot a Pelican through [[Flyable Pelican and Phantom|an Easter egg]].
*In ''Halo: Reach'', the inside screens show information on the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s [[SWORD Base]].
*In ''Halo: Reach'', all Pelicans are registered as [[NOBLE Team]] assets, as they are all given the tag "NOBLE 48".

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Concept-HCE-Early-Pelican.jpg|Early concept art for the Pelican for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.
File:E3 2000 pelican.png|The Pelican as it appeared in the [[Halo E3 2000 trailer|E3 2000 Trailer for Halo: Combat Evolved]].
File:PelicanII-Sil.gif|Schematics of a D77-TC.
File:Pelicandrop.jpg|A simple overview of a Pelican dropship.
File:Pelican-Scorpion.jpg|Side preview of a Pelican carrying a Scorpion.
File:Pelican-Warthog.jpg|Side preview of a Pelican carrying a Warthog.
File:HaloCE-PelicanDropship.png|A Pelican carrying a Warthog in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
File:DockedPelican.jpg|A Pelican docked in one of ''Pillar of Autumn''<nowiki />'s hangars.
File:H2-Pelican chin gun.png|A view of the Pelican Dropship's chin-mounted autocannon in ''Halo 2''.
File:H2-D77TCPelicanDropship.png|A Pelican in ''Halo 2''.
File:H2 - Destroyed Pelican.jpg|A crashed Pelican in flames.
File:Phantom and Pelican.png|A Pelican with a woodland camouflage scheme in ''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''.
File:Hornet war.jpg|A squadron of [[AV-14 Hornet|Hornets]] and [[AV-22 Sparrowhawk|Sparrowhawks]] protect a number of Pelican dropships from a [[Type-47A Scarab|Protos Scarab]] in an early build of ''[[Halo Wars]]''.
File:PelicanOnHarvest.JPG|Three Pelicans during the [[Harvest Campaign]] in ''Halo Wars''.
File:HW-D77.png|A D77 in ''Halo Wars''.
File:BirthOfASpartan - Hopeful.png|A Pelican approaches the {{UNSCship|Hopeful}} in the ''[[Birth of a Spartan]]'' short live-action film.
File:EarlyPelicanRedesign.jpg|Early concept of a redesigned Pelican for ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
File:PelicanAirfieldConcept.jpg|Concept art of a Pelican airfield on [[Reach]].
File:HaloReach-D77TC-PelicanDropship.png|A Pelican in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:Halo Reach - TotS Pelican.jpg|A Pelican during the [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge]]. 
File:Pelican_carrying_bridge.jpg|A Pelican carrying a [[deployable bridge]].
File:Bravo 001.jpg|The crashed [[Bravo 001]] in the [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve]].
File:Troopers in Pelican.jpg|UNSC Army soldiers in the troop bay of a Pelican.
File:Pelican render.png|A render of the D77 in ''Halo: Reach''.
File:HCEA-PelicanDropship.png|An angled profile view of a Pelican in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''.
File:PelicansAnniversary.png|Two Pelicans during the [[Battle of the Silent Cartographer]].
File:H4-Scanned-PelicanDropships.jpg|D77s in ''Scanned''.
File:H2AD77_cutout.png|A cutout of a Pelican in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.
File:H2A - I Know What the Ladies Like.jpg|Sergeant Avery Johnson commandeers a Pelican's [[M247 General Purpose Machine Gun|M247]] bay gun.
File:H2A - Pelican and Scorpion.jpg|A Pelican ferrying an M808B Scorpion.
File:HGC-D77.jpg|A D77 Pelican in ''[[Halo: Ground Command]]''.
File:HW2B_Pelican.png|A D77 Pelican in the ''[[Halo Wars 2 Open Beta]]''.
File:HW2B-D77gunship.png|A G77S Pelican gunship in the ''Halo Wars 2 Open Beta''.
File:HW2-CampaignD77.png|A D77 Pelican delivering a [[UNSC Supply Pad]] during the Battle of Installation 00 in ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''.
File:HW2-D77&Minibase.png|A D77 delivering a minibase.
File:HW2-D77&Supplypad.png|A D77 delivering a supply pad to a firebase.
File:HW2-D77.png|A D77 delivering a [[Watchtower]].
File:HW2-D77vsG81.jpg|A D77 in comparison to a [[G81 Condor]].
File:HW2-G77S.png|A G77S firing at a target.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
**''[[The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Origins]]''
**''[[Homecoming]]''
**''[[Prototype]]''
**''[[Odd One Out]]''
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Pariah]]''
**''[[Dirt]]''
**''[[Blunt Instruments]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''
*''[[Remember Reach]]''
**''[[Birth of a Spartan]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
**''[[Terminal/Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary|Terminals]]''
*''[[Scanned]]''
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Hunt the Truth]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Spartan Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''
*''[[Know Your Enemy]]''
*''[[Halo: Ground Command]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Fractures]]''
**''[[Oasis]]''
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
*''[[Halo: Envoy]]''
*''[[Halo: Retribution]]'' {{Mo}}

==Sources==
<references/>

{{UNSC Aircraft}}
{{Human Ships}}