You may be looking for:
| |
- Ardo Melnikov(src)
The Quantradyne APOD-33 dropship[1] is a terran aerospace transport.
Overview
The Quantradyne is a heavily armored tactical transport equipped for both atmospheric and deep space flight,[2] utilizing twin engines fed hypergolic tanks that result in plasma exhaust, said engines being capable of shifting their angles.[1] Dropships are designed to carry anything from troops to siege tanks in both safety and speed.[3] Landings are usually carried out conventionally—easy deployment is allowed through both aft[4][1] and front ramps and its base can descend from the ship.[5] However, soldiers can also rappel down using ropes.[6] Side doors also exist[7] and furthermore, dropships are equipped with extraction fields[1] and maglev lines[8] in case the terrain is too difficult to land on.
Early experiments to arm dropships (including ordnance packages for an air-to-ground role)[9] were abandoned in favor of maximizing payload capacity.[2] Still, soldiers can fire from the dropship themselves, such as from its bottom platform.[5] Another example of getting around this was used by Captain Jack Larimer, who removed his dropship's side doors to make room for mounted weapons.[7]
Dropships possess a number of shortcomings. They are difficult to maneuver and are prone to mechanical failures[6] and aren't exactly the most comfortable transport craft, the interior's temperatures usually uncomfortably hot, even more so during re-entry. Cooling units are installed to offset this along with air scrubbers. Restraining bars are present for the transport of passengers and overhead racks for the transport of equipment and/or belongings. The dropship's power bus is also compatible with the CMC-300 combat suit. A user can 'jack in' to the power bus and view the dropship's surroundings via a sensor system, the image being transferred to the suit's HUD.[1] Ammunition packs and stimulant dispensers are also featured.[3] During the Guild Wars, dropships were apparently bereft of gravity accelerators,[7] but this was rectified by the Great War.[10] Dropship pilots can operate alone, although a nav/comm. console is set behind the pilot's seat.[10]
Dropships are frequently attached to capital ships such as troopships[7] and battlecruisers.[10]
History
Quantradynes were designed by the Terran Confederacy and were in use by 2480.[3] The Colonial Fleet maintained high standards for its dropship pilots, the PEB (Preferred Experience Base) requiring an applicant to possess a combat pilot certification and hot-zone certification before being allowed access to a dropship.[11]
The Terran Dominion maintained Quantradynes until at least 2503,[12] but they were eventually converted into medivac dropships.[13]
Game Unit
StarCraft
Dropships are too slow to outrun aerial hunters like mutalisks, scouts, and wraiths. If destroyed any units being carried are lost as well. While it has 8 slots like the shuttle and evolved overlord, the power of stimpacked infantry means a dropship can carry substantial firepower. Compared to its zerg and protoss counterparts (overlord and shuttle), the dropship has a faster speed than the overlord despite having a poor acceleration and is less fragile than the shuttle but slower.
A fleet of dropships is often used to offload units directly on top of or near an enemy base. These "drops" are a key strategy for many terran players.
Upgrades
- +1 armor to Wraith, dropship, battlecruiser, science vessel, Valkyrie per level.
Acquisition | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
|
Quotations
Development
During the StarCraft alpha, the dropship was much larger and could carry a lot more units inside. Their unit portrait bore great resemblance to what would become the character of Jem in the final product.[14]
The dropship was once equipped with Vortex shock-bombs.[15]
StarCraft: Ghost
StarCraft: Ghost concept art depicts "assault dropships". The terrans also used the Grizzly as an (armed) transport.[16]
StarCraft II
The dropship used to be very similar to the StarCraft version. It has been given a healing ability, transforming it into the medivac dropship; thus, the dropship can no longer be built in StarCraft II.[17]
The dropship touched down to unload units,[18] behavior that was previously seen in the original StarCraft alpha, but not the final edition.[19]
There was a one second delay between every dropped unit.[20]
Blizzard was toying with the possibility of returning the dropship and making the medivac dropship an available upgrade in June 2008.[21]
Another dropship to feature within the game is the Hercules dropship, which is used to transport thors.[22]
Known Dropships
- Daddy's Girl
- Dropship 192
- Fat Girl
- Tango Bravo 109
- Sleepwalker
- Sweetie Pie
- Valkyrie Vixen
Known Dropship Pilots
- Captain Julian Byrne
- Captain Tegis Marz
- Captain Morrow
- Graham O'Brien
- Black Morgan
Trivia
The dropship's design, pilot personality, and unit quotations are heavily modelled or borrowed from the one found in movie Aliens.
References
|