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Well, to nitpick, from what we've seen the LAAT/i and LAAT/c can be deployed from orbit (not sure if the LAAT/i can achieve orbit from surface again).

Where was that? I can believe that an airspeeder can being dropped from orbit - like the V-wing - and it's work for the /c, but wouldn't reentry...you know...burn all the LAAT/i's passengers alive?

They're shielded, right? Even the ones without side doors?

Stark wrote:They're shielded, right? Even the ones without side doors?

yes.

Imperial Overlord wrote:

Stark wrote:They're shielded, right? Even the ones without side doors?

yes.

Talk about overengineering. What, doors weren't an option? You're just supposed to sit there, in an open ship, with nothing between you and fiery oblivion except a shield that may or may not work?

Yeah, it's a bit strange that they'd leave open sides and use shields to hold back the bow wave - but I guess they're primarily battlefield transports. I think the ones in the cartoon (with hundreds used for orbital deployment) were the solid-sided ones, not the open ones like in AOTC. Does anything show the open ones used for such orbital deployments? Maybe they have disposable door thingies?

But it's silly to say 'shield that may or may not work'. Everyone who's ever been in a SW hangar has trusted their lives to shields every second they're out there: it's obviously a mature technology.

But it's silly to say 'shield that may or may not work'. Everyone who's ever been in a SW hangar has trusted their lives to shields every second they're out there: it's obviously a mature technology.

There's a minor but substantial difference between a shield that's only supposed to keep one atmosphere in and one that's supposed to withstand thousands of degrees heat and lord knows what turbulence while possibly being shot at - especially when the alternative is just installing doors.

If there's a closed dropship for orbital launches and an open one that's launched from carriers or gound bases, it'd make a lot more sense.

I think the biggest safety issue would be the distance from the cabin: it's not going to be very awesome if the bow wave is kept within arms-length of the cabin, particularly if they are going to be facing opposing fire and hard manuvers. 'Reentry casualites' would be unfortunate... but shields that can withstand SW fighter weapons should keep them safe from reentry: it's not like X-Wings pick up scoring or anything from reentry.

I checked the CW cartoon, and the ones they use from space have rear-sliding doors covering the crew bay. They stay attached, but I'm not sure what 'varient' this is. I don't have AOTC so I can't check if those ones have these door panels - they retract right back under the tail, to expose the entire crew compartment.

I think the standard has sliding doors on the side. As for the armed helicopter, I think it can carry troops, because all of that is hardpoints.

I dont know about in SW but I would use them as close air support for the troops on the ground. Armed like they are it would make sense to me. Drop of troops the provide that needed firepower to advance your position.

Bounty wrote:

But it's silly to say 'shield that may or may not work'. Everyone who's ever been in a SW hangar has trusted their lives to shields every second they're out there: it's obviously a mature technology.

There's a minor but substantial difference between a shield that's only supposed to keep one atmosphere in and one that's supposed to withstand thousands of degrees heat and lord knows what turbulence while possibly being shot at - especially when the alternative is just installing doors.

If there's a closed dropship for orbital launches and an open one that's launched from carriers or gound bases, it'd make a lot more sense.

Theres a named varient (H) thats orbital launched

Theres a named varient (H) thats orbital launched

Where did you get the designation? I know about the orbital launches in Clone Wars #02, but I've never heard of LAAT/h as a subtype.

ETA: Wookieepedia only has /infantry, /carrier and /vehicle.

(name here) wrote:I think the standard has sliding doors on the side. As for the armed helicopter, I think it can carry troops, because all of that is hardpoints.

I'm not so sure. they might be able to fit inside but will they be able to get out in any swift manner with those pods in front of the doors?

Bounty wrote:

Theres a named varient (H) thats orbital launched

Where did you get the designation? I know about the orbital launches in Clone Wars #02, but I've never heard of LAAT/h as a subtype.

ETA: Wookieepedia only has /infantry, /carrier and /vehicle.

I swore there was one but in the Clone war toons in the assult of one planet theres gunships lanuching in high orbit

Thanks for bothering to read the thread. We've been discussing that for a page now.

If none of the wookiepedia entries have doors that slide to the rear, then it's just wrong. If the AOTC ones have door panels right back under their tails, then they're the same as the cartoon ones.

EDIT - some poking suggests that the ep3 gunships have door panels - at least, the toys for ep3 gunships do. Perhaps the original designs lacked them (as merely speeders) and they were later added to ease deployment? Fuck knows I'm not watching ep3 to find out.

EDIT2 - Holy shit guys, the wookie article has a giant picture of a LAAT/i with giant door panels on the side. I'm thinking maybe they're standard.

EDIT3 - Holy shit, wookie sucks. They talk about how they can be deployed from space due to atmospheric containment shields (lol like they don't have any other kind) when there are RUDDY GREAT DOORS ON THE SIDE in the pictures NOT INCHES AWAY. Maybe they think they're airbrakes?

Isolder74 wrote:

(name here) wrote:I think the standard has sliding doors on the side. As for the armed helicopter, I think it can carry troops, because all of that is hardpoints.

I'm not so sure. they might be able to fit inside but will they be able to get out in any swift manner with those pods in front of the doors?

Usually, yes they can get out quickly. Most of the weapons mounted will be on hardpoints, like (name here) said, and the hardpoints don't block the doors.

Picture

In this picture you can see that the Huey, while armed with side-mounted machine guns, still has the ability to load and unload soldiers quickly.

Picture

Nevertheless, adding weight that isn't troops is a tradeoff with range. By comparison, I don't think I've ever seen an Australian Blackhawk with anything other than droptanks to extend range.

You do have a good point, Stark. The more weapons, the more weight, the less range. Usually gunships don't carry many soldiers, if any, because of the drastic reduction in range brought on by the combined weight of the armament and the troops.

I know on the Huey that the doors can be removed, though they come standard, for one more body to fit in if nothing else.

For comparision, the CH 46 and the CH 53 utilize by the Marine Corps (at least while I was in) Did have doors and troops could still be unloaded quickly. It took no more than 5 seconds to get a full contingent off the bird and on the ground. Usually 10 seconds however do to a little thing called "dicking around" on the people being unloaded.

Dark Flame wrote:You do have a good point, Stark. The more weapons, the more weight, the less range. Usually gunships don't carry many soldiers, if any, because of the drastic reduction in range brought on by the combined weight of the armament and the troops.

The Hind (which apparently was an inspiration for the LAAT) shows this: it's not a very good gunship, and it's a passable transport at best (I've heard 4 guys equipped is about the realistic limit).

It can still be effective for getting small numbers of elite troops into heavily contested areas, though. It's just not good at being a straight-up gunship or troop transport.

No doubt, but having a standard main design being so cross-purposed (and so mediocre) doesn't seem so great. Clearly in SW the technical problem of payload weight isn't significant - they don't seem to have much else in the 'combat support speeder' area, so I guess the LAAT can effectively do both.

No one mentioned the Sentinels with modifications to drop containers.

EDIT: that can account for the lack of doors and instead shields.

EDIT2 - Holy shit guys, the wookie article has a giant picture of a LAAT/i with giant door panels on the side. I'm thinking maybe they're standard.

Huh. I missed that. The LAAT/i page only has the cutaway as a small thumbnail and I didn't think to check it. Those doors are a lot less insane than a shield.

Stark wrote:EDIT2 - Holy shit guys, the wookie article has a giant picture of a LAAT/i with giant door panels on the side. I'm thinking maybe they're standard.

Straight from the motherfucking AOTC ICS. There's a great big picture of the LAAT/i emblazoned on the cover with very obvious doors. I should hope Wookieepedia acknowledges doors on the transport.

Do you have the AOTC ICS? Could you check to see if it says anything about the atmospheric shielding? Just to make sure it's not something the wiki made up.