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This article is about the Pelican dropship featured in Halo 4. For more uses of the term Pelican, click here.

The Dropship 79 Heavy-Troop Carrier (D79H-TC), more commonly known as the Pelican,[1] was an extremely versatile aircraft capable of carrying troops, cargo, or vehicles. This model of the Pelican has two nose-mounted machine guns operable by the pilot.

Class History[]

Beginning in 2557, the D79 was starting to replace the older D77-TC Pelicans.[2]

Papa Foxtrot 766 (1)

A trio of Pelicans during the First Battle of Requiem.

Many Pelicans were used during the First Battle of Requiem.[3][4] One Pelican, Pelican 096, managed to recover John-117 following the New Phoenix Incident. Marines were also transported into New Phoenix by Pelicans.[5]

Other operations featuring the Pelican were the Battle of Kamchatka, the Raid on UNSC Argent Moon, and at the Battle of Sunaion.[6]

Numerous Pelicans were disabled during The Reclamation. One managed to transport John-117 and Jameson Locke to Sanghelios at the same time frame.[7]

Soon after Blue Team's rescue, both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris would board an abandoned D79-TC Pelican that had crashed on the Forerunner shield world of Genesis. They piloted the Pelican through a portal that led them to the planet of Sanghelios in order for the Spartans to meet up with the Thel 'Vadam and Dr. Catherine Halsey.[8]

Design[]

H4 Pelican096

Rear quarter of Pelican 096.

Superstructure[]

The D79H-TC differs quite extremely from its predecessor, the D77H-TCI. Overall, its design is more rounded and streamlined, moving away from the very angular design of the D77 series. The cockpit is no longer accessed through the troop bay, but rather through the windshield itself, which opens to allow pilots to board. This differs in Halo 5: Guardians, however, as both Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris use Pelicans that have direct access between the cockpit and passenger bay, similar to the D77H-TCi model of Pelican.

The troop bay has also undergone some changes, most notably its ramp, which is now considerably longer than its predecessor's was. The D79H-TC is still capable of transporting vehicles underslung in the same way as its predecessor, and it is implied that at least three D79s have enough lifting power between them to lift an M510 Mammoth.[4]

Propulsion[]

The D79H-TC's engines differ from the D77 series in that the main thruster wings now only have rear-facing jets. Along the bottom of the hull are four directional thrusters which, along with the rear thrusters, control the D79's VTOL operations. In addition, the main hull has two further thrusters, one on either side, and the very rear of the craft has a pair, providing this version of the Pelican with far superior acceleration and speed than its D77 predecessors.

Armament[]

In an offensive capacity, the D79H-TC sports two nose-mounted 70mm autocannons capable of an extremely high rate of fire and accuracy over long ranges.[1] Its cousin, the G79H-TC/MA Pelican, possesses considerably more offensive firepower, including a variant of the M8C Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Weapon.[9]

Variants[]

Picture Variant Description
H4-PelicanGunship G79H-TC/MA Pelican A heavily armed gunship using the chassis of the D79H. Weapons can range from light battle tank cannons to side mounted M410 Dual Heavy Machine Guns.[9]
N/A Liang-Dortmund Pelican Liang-Dortmund operated yellow and black, corporate branded Pelicans. They do not have weapons.[10]

Ships of the Line[]

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

Overviews[]

Exterior Shots[]

Appearances[]

Sources[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, Page 112
  2. Halo Waypoint - Universe - Pelican
  3. Halo 4 - Level: Infinity
  4. 4.0 4.1 Halo 4 - Level: Reclaimer
  5. Halo 4 - Level: Epilogue
  6. Halo 5: Guardians - Levels: Osiris, Blue Team, and Battle of Sunaion
  7. Halo 5: Guardians - Level: Guardians
  8. Halo: Bad Blood, Page 11-13
  9. 9.0 9.1 Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, Page 113
  10. Halo 5: Guardians - Level: Glassed, Meridian Station and Unconfirmed
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