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What are those cathedral-looking things in the air featured on many of the IG Cadian boxed sets and artworks? Being that they seem to be using landing thrusters, or something of the kind, id think they are dropships, but that makes them some pretty ugly/non-aerodynamic vehicles. I dont mind gothic architecture, but i prefer my buildings on the ground, thanks..

What im talking about: http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2450202_99120105036_IGCadCommSquadBox_873x627.jpg (Underneath the "40,000" logo)

They're large craft meant to carry troops from orbital ships to the planet. Called bulk landers

EDIT: Ninja'd!

that makes them some pretty ugly/non-aerodynamic vehicles.

Sounds like the Imperium to me.

IIRC they carry entire tank companies, titans, ect.

Yeah, they don't need to be aerodynamic. These arn't drop pods you know.

The Imperium doesn't know the meaning of aerodynamic.

I think that every human is slightly psychic, which allows their boxes to fly even though they should just fall out of the sky.

McNinja wrote:The Imperium doesn't know the meaning of aerodynamic.

I think that every human is slightly psychic, which allows their boxes to fly even though they should just fall out of the sky.

hahaha, so very true

Spacecraft don't need to be aerodynamic (contrary to what most Sci-Fi stuff has) and neither do giant orbital dropships.

Ok, makes sense, come to think of it... I dont know if anyone knows, but do they keep these things in big hangars on spacecraft to transfer troops from space transports to the planet surface?

McNinja wrote:I think that every human is slightly psychic, which allows their boxes to fly even though they should just fall out of the sky.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/3688177/images/1234422949954.jpg

*scnr*

Budgie: Depends. There are dedicated warp-capable transports as well as bulk landers kept in hangar bays to ferry stuff to and from a planet. I have no idea what that on the picture would be, but given that it does not seem to be very big my guess would be that it's a ferry. Warp-capable ships are usually much, much larger.

Lynata wrote:

McNinja wrote:I think that every human is slightly psychic, which allows their boxes to fly even though they should just fall out of the sky.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/3688177/images/1234422949954.jpg

*scnr*

Budgie: Depends. There are dedicated warp-capable transports as well as bulk landers kept in hangar bays to ferry stuff to and from a planet. I have no idea what that on the picture would be, but given that it does not seem to be very big my guess would be that it's a ferry. Warp-capable ships are usually much, much larger.

Mantas are actually capable of inter-stellar travel.

Mantas are built by a race that actually values innovation

Harriticus wrote:Spacecraft don't need to be aerodynamic (contrary to what most Sci-Fi stuff has) and neither do giant orbital dropships.

Unless every fighter/bomber/Stormraven/Thunderhawk in the Imperial fleet has some sort of anti-grav capability, they sort of do. Stormravens are perfect examples of just how little the Imperium thinks of aerodynamics. Every ship should just fall out of the sky.

Put big enough thrusters on a skip, and it'll fly...

It would fly BETTER if it was aerodynamic, but the IOM has a pathological need to hamstring their own efficiency

Raulmichile wrote:

McNinja wrote:The Imperium doesn't know the meaning of aerodynamic.

I think that every human is slightly psychic, which allows their boxes to fly even though they should just fall out of the sky.

hahaha, so very true

Yeah they do, the edges of the boxes have to be sharp enough and the bolts work like bullets.

The IoM also loves their Anti-Grav tech to. Alot of dropships, especially Mechanis drop to a certain altitude and simply sit there while planet bound ships do the final stage of ferrying.

Anyone wondered why the Eldar get no true dropships?

I think IoM planes fly inside of a gravity envelope that is aerodynamic and therefore explains why planes that shouldn't fly. Do fly. </handwave>

The ship on the box, I don't think has a name or is an actual thing. There is a heavy lander detailed though. The tetrarch heavy lander. It carries a full guard regiment form orbit to planet and has a tendency to be shot down killing whole regiments.

Ascalam wrote:Mantas are built by a race that actually values innovation

WH40k is like halo in reverse, where the IoM and Tau are concerned.

In halo, humans innovate and are smaller but fight fight fight! And the multi-species alien empire is basing it's technology off of stuff made by people long dead, with no room for changes in doctrine or anything, and is way bigger and older.

Swap the words "human" and "multi species alien empire" and you have 40k.

im2randomghgh wrote:

Ascalam wrote:Mantas are built by a race that actually values innovation

WH40k is like halo in reverse, where the IoM and Tau are concerned.

In halo, humans innovate and are smaller but fight fight fight! And the multi-species alien empire is basing it's technology off of stuff made by people long dead, with no room for changes in doctrine or anything, and is way bigger and older.

Swap the words "human" and "multi species alien empire" and you have 40k.

Don't forget Tyranids/Flood.

Now if the DE haemonculi messed with the Nids and then released them...


THAT would be flood-awesome

Anyone wondered why the Eldar get no true dropships?

Most of the time eldar are able to step right from the webway onto the surface, if the closes webway access is in space do to partial webway calapse they can ride in vampire raiders or similar vessels.

Aerodynamics play little part in space as Harriticus mentioned.

Think back to the film 'Alien' and the ship they landed on LV426. Pretty bulky and boxy. But with enough engines and thrust it need not be aerodynamic. Aerodynamics are for fighter craft that are purpose built for maneuvering in atmosphere.