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Subject: What powers a Pelican?

What does a Pelican use for it's engines/powersource. I have been wondering this for some time.

At first I thought that it uses a reactor of some kind, as the chief tells someone to put that space/time bending crystal in their Pelican's reactor compartment during First Strike.

This is a mistake however, as they use a Longsword to board the Ascendant Justice, and for whatever reason it gets referred to as a Pelican for the rest of the story.

My current theory is a jet/rocket hybrid. In an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere it would burn hydrogen like most UNSC vehicles, in a standard turbojet configuration. Once it enters a vaccuum, the hydrogen bypasses the jet engine mechanisim and is combined with oxygen in the rear part of the engine like a rocket.

  • 04.26.2011 2:35 PM PDT

My Grandfather was a Desert Ranger, my Father was a Veteran Ranger in the NCR. My father was killed by Caesar's Legion and they took my Brother. It's now my responsibility to uphold the mantle of the Rangers and avenge my Father and find my Brother.

Look it up on HaloNation or HaloWiki or something...

  • 04.26.2011 2:39 PM PDT

I know it uses thrusters to actually fly I want to know what powers the thrusters. I would have to be lightweight, powerful and capable of functioning in a vacuum and a variety of atmospheres.

EDIT: I have looked at a variety of sources, none state it's power source.

[Edited on 04.26.2011 2:41 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2011 2:40 PM PDT

i bet it's a small nuculear core..?

or some sort of hydrogen compactor-thingy

  • 04.26.2011 2:42 PM PDT

Nuclear energy, that is for sure, a small reactor like the ones in MJORNIL suits but bigger.
I think.

[Edited on 04.26.2011 2:46 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2011 2:46 PM PDT

A nuclear reactor small enough and light enough to be fitted in a Pelican would be VERY expensive, especially given how often they crash.

  • 04.26.2011 2:49 PM PDT

Posted by: Omanisat
A nuclear reactor small enough and light enough to be fitted in a Pelican would be VERY expensive, especially given how often they crash.

It's the XXVI century, they probably can make it cheaper and it is way bigger than the one in MJORNIL suits, plus the other forms of powering (hydrogen/oxygen thermal reactor, hydrogen cell) are probably not powerful enough for a space ships that can carry several fully suited SPARTANS II and a Scorpion tank.

  • 04.26.2011 2:57 PM PDT

well in space the weight is zero issue, but the nuculear reactor is the best explanation, still dosen't explain why some 'flames' come out of the thrusters.

  • 04.26.2011 2:59 PM PDT

That still leaves the safety issue. A fission reactor would melt down if it was breached, say in a crash. A fusion reactor would vapourise a significant area should it ever rupture. And weight would most certainly be an issue for a drop ship.

[Edited on 04.26.2011 3:04 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2011 3:01 PM PDT

but if a pelican crashed violently it was probably in a battlefield anyway, thus accidental kamimazie

  • 04.26.2011 3:03 PM PDT

I'm sure that's a great comfort to the UNSC it might land on, or the crews that have to fly them.

  • 04.26.2011 3:06 PM PDT


Posted by: Omanisat
That still leaves the safety issue. A fission reactor would melt down if it was breeched, say in a crash. A fusion reactor would vapourise a significant area should it ever rupture.

You make a good point, but if you look at crashed pelicans in several halo games you see that some parts always break and some key parts are always intact, maybe they could put the reactor in the most reinforced and stronger part of the ship.
(btw, i have nothing against you or your post but i like having intelligent arguments since they are rare in video game forums)

  • 04.26.2011 3:06 PM PDT

Posted by: Omanisat
I'm sure that's a great comfort to the UNSC it might land on, or the crews that have to fly them.

lol, twas a joke.

Posted by: zepedrodel

Posted by: Omanisat
That still leaves the safety issue. A fission reactor would melt down if it was breeched, say in a crash. A fusion reactor would vapourise a significant area should it ever rupture.

You make a good point, but if you look at crashed pelicans in several halo games you see that some parts always break and some key parts are always intact, maybe they could put the reactor in the most reinforced and stronger part of the ship.
(btw, i have nothing against you or your post but i like having intelligent arguments since they are rare in video game forums)

so, sorta like a black box?

[Edited on 04.26.2011 3:10 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2011 3:09 PM PDT

There would be no way to be sure that the reactor vessel would survive an impact, especially considering a Covenant plasma bolt could conceivably burn half-way through a Pelican without effort.

  • 04.26.2011 3:09 PM PDT

it could be a non reactive core, nukes nowadays do't explode unless a very specific electrical pulse is sent thru the warhead

  • 04.26.2011 3:12 PM PDT


Posted by: Omanisat
There would be no way to be sure that the reactor vessel would survive an impact, especially considering a Covenant plasma bolt could conceivably burn half-way through a Pelican without effort.

If the Pelican was already burned half-way trough, with or without exploding reactor and don't think anyone would survive.
Just remembered something: fusion coils from Halo games, they might use something similar.

  • 04.26.2011 3:15 PM PDT

There's many differences between a nuclear warhead, which is basically inert until triggered into a extremely rapid, catastrophic reaction. A nuclear reactor is basically a slow, controlled explosion, which only takes a very small interruption or screw up to lose control.

  • 04.26.2011 3:16 PM PDT
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Orphan tears...

or some weird hydrogen-nuclear fusion.

  • 04.26.2011 3:16 PM PDT


Posted by: jeffgodofPIE
it could be a non reactive core, nukes nowadays do't explode unless a very specific electrical pulse is sent thru the warhead

Not really, an active core is like a very slow and controlled nuclear explosion. After started, unless controlled it would turn into a nuke

  • 04.26.2011 3:17 PM PDT

You mean the tings that explode if you look at them funny:)

And while it's pretty much a given the crew will die no matter what they get hit with, a non-nuclear reactor poses much less danger to others. Imagine the stricken Pelican was flying in formation when it was hit and it's reactors went up?

  • 04.26.2011 3:19 PM PDT
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id say hydrazine thrusters or even engines for space, scramjet engines in atmosphere with possibly a reactor for use in space for maybe some kinda reaction propellant possibly an advanced ion propulsion, or even a conventional engine?!

  • 04.26.2011 3:32 PM PDT
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Semper Fictor

A good way to further ensure survival in the event of a crash could break away parts. those parts would absorb the kinetic energy of the crash, thus allowing for a better survival chance.

I hope this helps you omanisat, we seem to argue alot on certain things

[Edited on 04.26.2011 3:46 PM PDT]

  • 04.26.2011 3:45 PM PDT

We don't argue, we debate.

  • 04.26.2011 5:00 PM PDT

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