ALBATROSS

Craft: UNSC Albatross Dropship
Type: Cargo dropship
Scale: Starfighter
Dimensions:
-Length: 36.8m
Skill: Aircraft piloting: Albatross
Substitute Skill: Space transport piloting: Albatross
Crew: 2
-skeleton: 1/+5
Crew Skill: Aircraft piloting 3D
Passengers: 75+ (replaces Cargo Capacity)
Cargo Capacity: 200 metric tons
Consumables: N/A
Cost: 40,000 cR (new); 28,000 cR (used)
Slipspace Drive: N/A
Nav Computer: Yes
Maneuverability: 1D
Speed:
-Space: 4
-Atmosphere:
Hull: 3D
Sensors:
  Passive: 15/0D
  Scan: 30/1D
  Search: 60/3D
  Focus: 2/3D+2

COMPLIMENT:
-Various Vehicles (M12 Warthog FAV, M808B Scorpion MBT, etc)
-Personnel (Marines, Navy/Ground Crews, Technicians, Trainees, ODSTs, etc)
-Various Cargos (weapons/ammunition, food, medical, construction, etc)

DESCRIPTION:

   The Albatross is a heavy-lift dropship of the United Nations Space Command.

- - - - - - - - - -

BACKGROUND

   Due to its general design and structure, the Albatross seems to be a
dedicated cargo dropship for vehicles, crates, weapons and raw supplies, such as
hydrogen, for ground units in the field, rather than possessing any combat
capabilities. It appears suited more towards ferrying supplies to a planet's
surface once a landing zone has been secured, whereas the D77-TC Pelican has a
more aggressive nature and can also function as a gunship.

   The Albatross has a large cargo bay. It is capable of transporting multiple
vehicles and other heavy weapons at a time. Once it has landed, it lowers three
metal ramps holding the bay, allowing its cargo to be unloaded. Both times the
Albatross has been seen, it is used as a makeshift base, indicating that it may
also serve as a mobile field command post for the UNSC.

APPEARANCES

   The Albatross first appeared in concept art in the book The Art of Halo. It
has since made appearances in Halo 2 and Halo 3, in the multiplayer maps Relic
and Sandtrap respectively. In both Halo 2 and Halo 3, the only observed
Albatrosses have crashed into hillsides or have been partially buried. It is
possible that the Albatross is the ship that ferries supplies to supply pads in
Halo Wars, although no official information regarding this matter has been
released, and it is therefore assumed that the two ships are different.

   In the 2010 reprint of Halo: Fall of Reach, the Pelican that carried 75
children has been retconned into an Albatross since it has an immensely larger
cargo bay than a Pelican even with a troop deployment pod.

OTHER INFO
Production Information:
-Manufacturer: UNSC
-Class: Heavy dropship; cargo transport
-Role: Logistical Support
Technical Specifications.
-Length: 36.8 m/120ft 9in
-Slipspace drive: None
-Hull: Titanium
-Armaments: Unknown, likely none
-Complement: Marines; M808B Main Battle Tanks; M12 Light Reconnaissance
Vehicles: Other vehicles and cargos
-Crew: Pilot (1); Co-pilot (1, Speculated)
-Passengers: Several, 75 children
Chronological and affiliation:
-Era(s): Human-Covenant War
-Affiliation: United Nations Space Command