Template:Ratings Template:Ship The Dropship 77-Troop Carrier (abbreviated D77-TC), more commonly known as the Pelican, is an extremely versatile craft used by the United Nations Space Command, mainly for the extraction and transportation of personnel, vehicles and equipment, although it can also be used as a powerful support gunship.
Background
It is the UNSC's primary tactical support aircraft, fulfilling the role of tactical transport and gunship since at least 2525. The Pelican's crew compartments can be sealed and the craft made suitable for limited space flight. However, the Pelican does not have Slipspace capabilities. They are mainly responsible for flying in the heaviest equipment and troops, as well as rescuing from hot LZ's. They are responsible for the many Marine and Spartan lives saved when there was no hope of getting out of an op gone wrong. They also deliver vehicles and troops where required on the battlefield. This tactical advantage means that commanders can quickly influence an engagement by supplying his/her forces with reinforcements and/or equipment, or evacuate them in the face of being overwhelmed.
Standard armament consists of one class-three externally powered projectile weapon at the fore of the vehicle and one class-one gas operated projectile weapon mounted at the rear in the extended crew area. More heavily armed versions exist such as the Pelican dropship that the SPARTAN-IIs added armor to in the novel 'The Fall of Reach'.[1]
Payload Capacity
The Pelican is able and capable of carrying passengers and cargo using a combination of internal and external methods. Specifically, the main compartment of the Pelican (called the "Blood Tray"[2]), has seats for ten people, with additional space for 5 standing.
The internal bay amidships is the simplest way of transporting supplies and personnel and the occasional Mongoose as seen on "The Storm" and beginning of "The Covenant".
The large aft overhang gives an attachment point for additional (and possibly oversized) cargo and ordnance. Possible payloads include a troop deployment pod, a Scorpion Tank, a Warthog, eight Resupply Canister Type-B Capsules. Maximum payload 70 tons.
Weapon Systems
Standard armament consists of a chin-mounted 40mm model which was common prior to 2525, but was later superseded by a 70mm weapon (though a small chain-gun can be found on most Pelicans during the course of Halo 2, these are neither big enough to be 40 or 70mm). These chain-guns are usually controlled by the pilot's helmet so that it would aim in the direction of the pilots view, similar to the modern TADS/PNVS found on Apache Gunships or the HUD system in a SPARTAN's armor. Some dropships boasted twin chain guns firing depleted uranium slugs.[3].
Missile pods, each holding eight ANVIL-II ASMs, can be mounted under each wing to engage more maneuverable or better protected targets. Fire control was typically delegated to the co-pilot, who was assisted by helmet-mounted display.
A AIE-486H HMG, a M247 GPMG, or a 25mm grenade launcher can also be mounted facing out of the rear cargo hatch and the latter two can be folded flat against the roof of the internal bay when not in use by the crew chief or passenger.
These weapons were not seen in Halo: Combat Evolved because the Pelican ammunition and rocket pods had been destroyed with the crash of the Pillar of Autumn.
Propulsion
The main engines are mounted in pairs in four nacelles, one on each wing and two at the rear. The nacelles can articulate independently, thus altering (ie, Vectoring) the direction of thrust and improving the dropship's low altitude maneuverability. Six ventral thrusters, two on each wing nacelle and one on each aft nacelle, allow the Pelican to land and take off vertically. These engines are capable of both space and atmospheric operation. The Pelican is too small to have a translight engine mounted on it.
The wings mounted on a Pelican seems extremely small, too small to support the weight of dropship and payload alone. It is speculated that it incorporates at least some Lifting Body principles, its own hull providing most of the lift necessary.
New Variant (D77H-TCI)
- Main article: D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship
Halo 3 introduces the new variant of the Pelican, D77H-TCI Pelican (The H stands for Heavy, the I probably stands for Infantry). Externally, it appears nearly identical to the Pelicans used in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 except for being more angular. The missile pods have been replaced with a different version. Instead of an attachable box-like pod, it's now attached directly to the wings and engines (although some Pelicans still opt out the missile pod). The chaingun has been left out of the design altogether. Internally, though, the craft has been renovated and it can store equipment in overhead netting. It also mounts an AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun at the opening of the troop-bay for suppression fire during insertion/extraction missions. The cockpit has been altered, and instead of the side-by-side positioning of the pilot and co-pilot, the pilot now sits at the fore of the dropship, with the co-pilot behind him/her, and at a higher position, in tandem.
Character Compatibility
Identified Pelicans
Pelicans receive serial numbers to be identified by during radio transmissions, particularly in combat situations. Each serial number consists of a letter from the Phonetic Alphabet followed by a number. Though a few Pelicans have this number inscribed on their cargo bays, most have no distinguishing mark on their exteriors. It is unclear how the numbers are chosen, but with their spread across the alphabet and numerals, it can be inferred that a massive number of Pelicans are in service, perhaps as many as 26,000.
See Also
Trivia
- All Pelicans in Halo: Combat Evolved are the same as Foehammer's Echo 419. Both Pelicans in The Silent Cartographer are Echo 419 and the 343 Guilty Spark and Assault on the Control Room Pelicans all bear the same number. This is due to lack of re-skinning either because of laziness or lack of time.
- Pelicans in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 and Halo 3 are never seen carrying more than six Human Marine troops at a time, despite being capable of carrying up to fifteen. However, it is likely that this is merely because UNSC troops usually work in small teams during engagements, comprising of five to six men, known as Fire Teams. Another likely reason is that the Master Chief, in full armor, weighs in at about 1000 lbs, making him weigh approximately as much as 5 fully armed marines. So 6 marines, plus the weight of 5 means the Pelican is towing the average of 11, as Halo: The Flood stated, 15 is more than pushing the limit as it is. Another reson could be gameplay balance. If the Fire Teams would consit of 15 Marines instead of 5 or 6 then the game would become to easy.
- In Halo: Combat Evolved on Assault on the Control Room, if you hold down X (E on PC by default) at the beginning of the level you can stay inside the Pelican, but beware, because as soon it goes down a few hundred meters, you will die.
- Although in Halo 2 the Pelican carries two missile pods, each loaded with 8 Anvil-II High Explosive missiles, the only time the dropships ever use them in combat is during the end of the level 'Metropolis', when some launch them against a Scarab, and at the beginning of Delta Halo, when Johnson's Pelican launches some if there are any Covenant left when the Pelicans come in. It is also used in Quarantine Zone, after you first encounter a Scorpion. When you move to the next section, a Pelican (unknown if human or Flood controlled) will fire missiles as it passes by at either you or the Sentinels. Its 70mm chain gun, on the other hand, is used twice during 'Outskirts', both times against Jackals. Also, in the level Delta Halo, when the Pelican drops off a Scorpion, if there are any Covenant troops left alive, the Pelican will attack them with its chain gun. On occasion the Pelican also attacks the Banshees when they are on approach to the player's position. The Pelican is also seen using its missile pods in combat during the Halo 3 level Sierra 117 attacking and destroying a pair of Phantoms. Also, if any Covenant infantry is still alive, the Pelican will use its missiles in an anti-personnel role.
- In both Halo 2 and Halo 3, the Pelicans are also used for ammo drops, carrying 6 cylindrical weapon canisters instead of a Warthog or Scorpion. These are found throughout Delta Halo and Regret in Halo 2, as well as a couple of scripted drops. These canisters cannot harm the player unless he/she is positioned directly underneath, but they can destroy a vehicle if they hit it. In Halo 3, the canisters are encountered less, and mostly while on The Covenant and The Ark. However in Halo 3, they only drop 4 at one time.
- The pods dropped off can be moved by driving into them with a vehicle, mostly tanks.
- It is implied that Pelicans have a Gravity Stabilizer of some sort because in the first cut scene on The Ark it shows the Pelicans in near the Ark's orbit, and if they did not have a stabilizer the Master Chief and the ODST would be floating around.
- In the Halo 3 Official Strategy Guide, it is stated you will lose points for destroying a Pelican. However, this is impossible since they are indestructible in all levels other than Sierra 117 since there is a glitch to destroy it.
- The original Pelican had the facility to insert six additional seats in the middle of the cargo bay to facilitate more marines on longer journeys.
- In Halo 3 on levels such as The Storm if you were to go back in theatre mode and look at one of the Pelicans it is possible to fly your camera through the back door of it and then once more into the cockpit, the cockpit is completely transparent with nobody in the pilots seat.
- In Halo: CE on the level Assault on the Control room, if you do the trick where you stay inside the Pelican you can walk around when it land on the bottom. To do this you have to play Co-op. You both stay inside and go down. After some time one of you must jump out. If done correctly the man outside will be able to "flip the Pelican". The man outside will die, but the man inside will survive and land on the bottom where he will be able to walk around.
- The pelican bears some resemblance to the dropship in 'Aliens'.
- It is possible that a Pelican can be taken down or destroyed by a Rocket Launcher due to the fact that one of the two marines in the last cutscene in Sierra 117 has a rocket launcher to fight off enemies or captured vehicles.
Glitch
It is possible to take down the Pelican that picks the player up in the end of Sierra 117. When it flies over the dam, stick its window with a Plasma Grenade. If it hits perfectly, the pilot will die and the Pelican will fall down. This may take several tries. Easy or Normal difficulty is recommended, and Cowbell skull may help. Note: The level is unbeatable after this glitch, unless you revert to a saved file. This glitch is also available on Crows Nest, when you enter the hangar for the first time. There is a glitch on The Covenant when a player gets in the Pelican and the other player drives forward the Pelican will appear where the other player is.
Images
- PelicanII-Sil.gif
- K30 1.jpg
A Pelican, moments before exploding after it is hit by plasma from a Covenant Loyalist Seraph-class starfighter.
- Pelican.png
Inside the cockpit of a Halo 3 Pelican.
The D77H-TCI, a newer variant of the Pelican
Sources
- ^ halo3.com
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 203
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, page 40