D79H Pelican

Dropship 79 Heavy - Troop Carrier
Production information
Manufacturer:	Misriah Armory
Class:	Pelican
Role:	Multi-purpose dropship/gunship
Technical specifications
Length:	30.7 meters (100.6 ft)
Width:	25.2 meters (82.7 ft)
Height:	10.7 meters (35.2 ft)
Mass:	64.7 metric tons (63.7 LT; 71.3 ST)–77 metric tons (76 LT; 85 ST)
Maximum speed:	671 km/h (417 mph)–903 km/h (561 mph)
Slipspace drive:	Not equipped
Armament:	2 GAU-53 70mm rotary cannon; 6 hardpoints;
Complement:	15–20 personnel
Crew:	3 (pilot, co-pilot, crew chief)
Chronological and affiliation
Era:	Human-Covenant War (limited service); Post-Covenant War conflicts;
Affiliation:	United Nations Space Command

"This was a D79-TC, one of the newer models, but they're essentially all the same: big squat green airships with a twenty-five meter wingspan and stretching about thirty meters long."

— Edward Buck on the D79 Pelican.^[6]

The Dropship 79 Heavy - Troop Carrier (D79H Pelican) is a dropship in the Pelican series designed by Misriah Armory.^[1] Infrequently in service as early as 2526,^[7]^[8] the D79 has become one of the most widely-used Pelican models in the post-war era^[1] - seeing particularly notable usage among the air wing of UNSC Infinity. Despite this, it has yet to completely supplant the much more widely-used D77 Pelican.^[4]

A gunship variant (the G79H-TC/MA) is also produced.^[2]^[4]

Overview[edit]

Design details[edit]

Unlike the D77 and the D77H Pelicans, the D79 features a twin-bubble canopy akin to that of the 21st century Mi-24 Hind gunship/attack helicopter; flight controls and frontal weaponry triggers are linked to the lower seat, while the dorsal turret is manned through the upper seat. The D79 Pelican features increased hull armor and more powerful engines compared to its D77 and D78 predecessors.^[2]^[3] It has a sleeker, more rounded fuselage which presumably improves its aerodynamics. A tall air intake is located immediately adjacent to the fuselage on either winglet, while a shorter but wider intake is mounted in front of and beneath each forward thruster; two smaller intakes are located above these. Two small maneuvering thrusters are mounted on either side of the fuselage. The Pelican is armed with a pair of GAU-53 70mm rotary cannons mounted on a gimbal, below its nose.^[3] These changes to the Pelican's thruster configuration provide the D79 greater in-atmosphere handling than its D77 counterpart.^[4]

Misriah's D81 Condor uses an airframe strikingly similar to the D79's, as it uses the D79H Pelican as the base. However, the Condor possesses a slipspace drive and additional thrust nozzles, in addition to substantially greater length.^[5]

Variants[edit]

G79H Pelican - a gunship model that incorporates heavier armament than the dropship version and additional weapons and ammunition racks for the resupply of ground troops.^[2]^[4]^[9]
Corp Pelican - a civilian variant used by private industry such as the Liang-Dortmund Corporation.

The G79H Pelican.
Liang Dortmund variant

Identified Pelicans[edit]

Operational history[edit]

The D79H Pelican entered UNSC service some time prior to the mid-2520s, during or before the Insurrection years. While in service, they were infrequently used as they were not cost-effective compared to their contemporaries.^[10] In 2526, a D79H was used to deploy Blue Team onto Circinius IV during the Covenant attack on the planet's military academy. Towards the end of the fighting, the dropship was used to extract John-117, Kelly-087, Frederic-104 and the remnants of Hastati Squad; Thomas Lasky, April Orenski and Michael Sullivan.^[7]^[8]

The D79 went into much more heavy service following the end of the Human-Covenant War, taking its place as the primary dropship used by UNSC Infinity. In this role it saw service in the Battle of Requiem,^[11] Requiem Campaign,^[12] Battle of Aktis IV,^[13] and Battle of Kamchatka.^[14] During the Created uprising, it continued to see use in engagements like the Battle of Meridian.^[15] Despite this more extensive service, it has yet to supplant the more widely-used D77 Pelican.^[4]

Trivia[edit]

In the level Infinity, Pelicans can be shot down by enemy fire, despite their actions being scripted, which can cause them to fall on top of the player and kill them. Additionally, sometimes the pilots will be killed, resulting in the aircraft crashing but not being destroyed. The Pelican's cockpit will be open and the aircraft can be flipped, but it cannot be piloted by the player.

Gallery[edit]

Illustrations[edit]

Multiple D79 Pelicans on the cover of Halo: Escalation.
A Pelican with a Broadsword during the Battle of Aktis IV in Halo: Escalation.
A Pelican featured in the Halo Waypoint artwork promoting the charity REQ drive.

Development images[edit]

Concept art of the D79 Pelican for Halo 4.
Concept art of the D79 Pelican for Halo 4.
Concept art of the D79 Pelican for Halo 4.
Concept art of the D79 Pelican for Halo 4.
Concept art of the D79 Pelican for Halo 4.
Concept art of the D79 Pelican for Halo 4.
Concept art of a Pelican bay on the UNSC Infinity.
Concept art of another Pelican bay on the Infinity.
Render of the interior of the Pelican.
Concept art of several D79 Pelicans in a hangar for Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
Concept art of the troop bay of a D79 Pelican in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
A base mesh of a D79 Pelican's troop bay in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
A wire frame render of a D79 Pelican's troop bay in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
Finalized render of a D79 Pelican's troop bay in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
Finalized render of a D79 Pelican's troop bay in Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series.
Pre-production concept art for Halo Infinite depicting D79 Pelicans preparing to launch from a UNSC warship.

Screenshots[edit]

A D79 Pelican leaving Circinius IV in Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.
Render of the D79H Pelican in Halo 4.
A D79 Pelican preparing to drop reinforcements on Requiem.
A D79 flying over the canyons of Requiem.
Detailed view of the dropship's engines.
Two Pelicans descend upon New Phoenix following the Didact's attack in 2557.
A crashed D79 Pelican at Two Giants.
A trio of D79 Pelicans carrying Mantises during the Skirmish at Two Giants.
A D79H Pelican gunning down an Unggoy Storm in Spartan Ops.
A Pelican barely avoiding a Wraith's plasma mortar.
Detail of the Pelican's cockpit interior, flown by Tedra Grant.
Two Pelicans flying in formation as they flee Requiem in 2558.
A D79H Pelican being fired at by a D'nomlhe-pattern Banshee.
D79H Pelicans in a War Games match of Warzone on Escape from ARC in Halo 5: Guardians.
Pelicans in a hangar on the UNSC Infinity in the Halo 5: Guardians E3 Hololens Experience.
Pelicans flying round in a hologram version of Escape from ARC in the Halo 5: Guardians E3 Hololens Experience.
Spartan-IVs about to depart from a Pelican's troop bay.
A D79 Pelican, as it appears in the Forge mode of Halo 5: Guardians.
A customized Pelican prop in Forge.
A D79H Pelican in The Halo Experience Showcase.

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Halo Waypoint, Halo 4 Interactive Guide - Vehicles: Pelican (Retrieved on May 1, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 112
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Halo Waypoint, Pelican (Retrieved on Nov 3, 2015) [archive]
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 149
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Halo Waypoint, Condor (Retrieved on Oct 27, 2015) [archive]
^ Halo: Bad Blood, chapter 1
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Halo Waypoint, Hastati Squad (Retrieved on Oct 27, 2015) [archive]
^ Halo 4, campaign level Shutdown
^ Halo Waypoint Forums, 10 things wrong in the games and media: "The model used [in FUD] actually was the D79. While it took until 2557 for the D79 to become the more prominently used model throughout the UNSC, the model itself has been around for quite a bit longer [than most fans tend to think]. When FuD takes place, the D79 was not nearly as cost-effective as the more ubiquitous D77, though it was more advanced. Does that help?" - Jeff Easterling (Retrieved on Feb 6, 2020) [archive]
^ Halo 4, Pelican in-game vehicle
^ Halo 4 - Spartan Ops
^ Halo: Escalation - The Janus Key
^ Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Osiris
^ Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Glassed

[Guide-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Halo Waypoint, Halo 4 Interactive Guide - Vehicles: Pelican (Retrieved on May 1, 2013) [local archive] [external archive]

[EVG-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 112

[universe-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Halo Waypoint, Pelican (Retrieved on Nov 3, 2015) [archive]

[Enc22-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 149

[CondorWaypoint-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b Halo Waypoint, Condor (Retrieved on Oct 27, 2015) [archive]

[6] Halo: Bad Blood, chapter 1

[FuD-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn

[Hastati-8] Jump up to: ^a ^b Halo Waypoint, Hastati Squad (Retrieved on Oct 27, 2015) [archive]

[9] Halo 4, campaign level Shutdown

[10] Halo Waypoint Forums, 10 things wrong in the games and media: "The model used [in FUD] actually was the D79. While it took until 2557 for the D79 to become the more prominently used model throughout the UNSC, the model itself has been around for quite a bit longer [than most fans tend to think]. When FuD takes place, the D79 was not nearly as cost-effective as the more ubiquitous D77, though it was more advanced. Does that help?" - Jeff Easterling (Retrieved on Feb 6, 2020) [archive]

[11] Halo 4, Pelican in-game vehicle

[12] Halo 4 - Spartan Ops

[13] Halo: Escalation - The Janus Key

[14] Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Osiris

[15] Halo 5: Guardians, campaign level Glassed

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