Difference between revisions of "Black Eagle (DropShip class)"

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==Description==
 
==Description==
Originally designed as an armored vehicle carrier for the [[Terran Hegemony]], the '''''Black Eagle''''' was the answer to the [[HAF]]'s need for a larger [[BattleMech]] carrier. Previous designs had been simple conversions of civilian cargo haulers with limited carrying capacities and defenses. However, the ''Black Eagle'' solved many of the logistic problems of deploying these early BattleMechs, such as the ''[[Mackie]]'', quickly into battle. Rearranging its cargo decks, Mikoyan Aerospace Consortium was able to create enough space for a company worth of the Hegemony's newest war machines.  
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Originally designed as an armored vehicle carrier for the [[Terran Hegemony]], the '''''Black Eagle''''' was the answer to the [[HAF]]'s need for a larger [[BattleMech]] carrier. Previous designs had been simple conversions of civilian cargo haulers with limited carrying capacities and defenses. However, the ''Black Eagle'' solved many of the logistic problems of deploying these early BattleMechs, such as the ''[[Mackie]]'', quickly into battle. Rearranging its cargo decks, Mikoyan Aerospace Consortium was able to create enough space for a company worth of the Hegemony's newest war machines.  
  
Initially assigned to the HAF's assault companies, these ships would be used in the initial stages of an invasion to secure a beachhead for attacking Hegemony units. The ship would thus become the Hegemony's principal assault BattleMech carrier, which in turn would become highly successful in its mission. Later designs of DropShips, such as the ''[[Lion]]'' and later the ''[[Union]]'', would be patterned after it.
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Initially assigned to the HAF's assault companies, these ships would be used in the initial stages of an invasion to secure a beachhead for attacking Hegemony units. The ship would thus become the Hegemony's principal assault BattleMech carrier, which in turn would become highly successful in its mission. While the original ''Black Lion'' was technically a [[DropShuttle]], created before the invention of the [[K-F Boom]] [[Docking Collar]] that defined the concept of "DropShip", subsequent DropShip designs such as the ''[[Lion]]'' and later the ''[[Union]]'' would be patterned after it.
  
The design's success would prompt the [[Terran Hegemony]] to use it as the basis for its ''[[Pentagon]]''-Class Assault Dropship design.<ref name="XTRO:Pv2"/>
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The design's success would prompt the [[Terran Hegemony]] to use it as the basis for its ''[[Pentagon]]''-Class Assault DropShip design.<ref name="XTRO:Pv2"/> (Which incidentally explains the visual similarity; see Notes.)
  
 
==Armament & Capacities==
 
==Armament & Capacities==
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==Notes==
 
==Notes==
*As of this writing, there is no assigned Battle Value listed for the Ship. Nor are there any stats/record sheets for the original version of the Black Eagle.
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*In what is probably an oversight, the ''Black Eagle'' is consistently presented as a DropShip (not a DropShuttle) in both its initial introduction into canon in ''[[XTRO: Primitives Vol2]]'' and its [[MUL]] entry. However, it is equally consistently described as having been created in 2453, i.e. a decade prior to the invention of the K-F Boom/Docking Collar technology that defines DropShips in modern parlance. For the purpose of this article and the categorisation it is assumed that the original ''Black Eagle'' was a DropShuttle class that, being a successful design, was upgraded and transformed into a proper DropShip class at some point after 2470.
 
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*The image provided for the ''Black Eagle'' was originally used for ''[[Pentagon]]''-class DropShip, establishing a strong visual similarity between those otherwise distinct spacecraft. (Re-using existing art was a frequent cost saving measure used for units devised for the Experimental Technical Readout series of PDFs.)
*The original image for the Black Eagle originally used for Pentagon-Class DropShip. The image was re-used for Black Eagle as part of a cost saving measure used for units devised for the Experimental Technical Readout series of PDFs.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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* ''[[Master Unit List]]''
 
* ''[[Master Unit List]]''
  
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[[Category: DropShuttle classes]]
 
[[Category: DropShip classes]]
 
[[Category: DropShip classes]]
 
[[Category: Inner Sphere DropShip classes]]
 
[[Category: Inner Sphere DropShip classes]]

Revision as of 05:16, 26 May 2020

Pentagon (DropShip).jpg
Black Eagle
Production information
Manufacturer Mikoyan Aerospace Consortium[1]
Production Year 2453[2]
Use 'Mech Carrier
Type Military Spheroid
Tech Base Inner Sphere (Primitive)
Technical specifications
Mass 4,500[3] tons
Structural Integrity 16
Length 77 meters
Width 77 meters
Height 90 meters
Drive System Fusion
Safe Thrust 4 g
Max Thrust 6 g
Fuel (tons) 250 tons
Fuel (days) 1.84 days
Armament 8x LRM 20s
9x Large Lasers
12x Medium Lasers[1]
Armor 55 tons Primitive Armor
Crew Crew Listings
  • 5 Officers
  • 14 Enlisted/Non-Rates
  • 9 Gunners
  • 24 Bay Personnel[1]
Escape Pods/Life Boats 1/8[1]
Heat Sinks 156 Standard[1]
BV (1.0) ???
BV (2.0) ???


Description

Originally designed as an armored vehicle carrier for the Terran Hegemony, the Black Eagle was the answer to the HAF's need for a larger BattleMech carrier. Previous designs had been simple conversions of civilian cargo haulers with limited carrying capacities and defenses. However, the Black Eagle solved many of the logistic problems of deploying these early BattleMechs, such as the Mackie, quickly into battle. Rearranging its cargo decks, Mikoyan Aerospace Consortium was able to create enough space for a company worth of the Hegemony's newest war machines.

Initially assigned to the HAF's assault companies, these ships would be used in the initial stages of an invasion to secure a beachhead for attacking Hegemony units. The ship would thus become the Hegemony's principal assault BattleMech carrier, which in turn would become highly successful in its mission. While the original Black Lion was technically a DropShuttle, created before the invention of the K-F Boom Docking Collar that defined the concept of "DropShip", subsequent DropShip designs such as the Lion and later the Union would be patterned after it.

The design's success would prompt the Terran Hegemony to use it as the basis for its Pentagon-Class Assault DropShip design.[1] (Which incidentally explains the visual similarity; see Notes.)

Armament & Capacities

Well armed for its time, the ship's weaponry is mostly evenly spread out its weapon arcs. The Black Eagle's Front & Front Right/Left arcs are armed with pair of 20-tubed Long-Range Missile Launchers with pair of Large Lasers. Its aft-sides missile weaponry is reduced to a single LRM-20, its close range weaponry is increased. Its Laser Bay consists of single Large Laser and four Medium Lasers. Covering its aft, is same singler Weapons Bay with Large Laser/4 Medium Laser arrangement. The ship carries 24 tons of ammunition for its LRM-20 launchers.[1]

The Black Eagle is designed to carry 12 BattleMechs, deployed from 2 doors. It also has 520 ton cargo capacity for spare parts and supplies, also accessed with door doors.

The design was built using what would later be considered Primitive Technology, thus its armor and other components would be outclassed by later designs.

Design Notes

Design Quirks:

Variants

  • Original design 
    When originally built, the Black Eagle was an armored combat vehicle carrier. The ship featured 3 Cargo Decks, with enough room for a Battalion of Light Combat Vehicles or a Company of Heavies.[1]

Notes

  • In what is probably an oversight, the Black Eagle is consistently presented as a DropShip (not a DropShuttle) in both its initial introduction into canon in XTRO: Primitives Vol2 and its MUL entry. However, it is equally consistently described as having been created in 2453, i.e. a decade prior to the invention of the K-F Boom/Docking Collar technology that defines DropShips in modern parlance. For the purpose of this article and the categorisation it is assumed that the original Black Eagle was a DropShuttle class that, being a successful design, was upgraded and transformed into a proper DropShip class at some point after 2470.
  • The image provided for the Black Eagle was originally used for Pentagon-class DropShip, establishing a strong visual similarity between those otherwise distinct spacecraft. (Re-using existing art was a frequent cost saving measure used for units devised for the Experimental Technical Readout series of PDFs.)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Experimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Volume 2, pp. 15 & 33 "Black Eagle Ship Profile"
  2. MUL online date for the Black Eagle (DropShip class)
  3. Master Unit List's Profile of Black Eagle DropShip

Bibliography