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So I've seen both Thunderhawk Transporters and Space Marine Transporters mentioned, sometimes in the same sentence. And I've seen it argued both that they ARE two different ships, and that they are NOT two different ships but rather different names for the same thing. Can anyone give a definitive answer?

Are Thunderhawk Transporters different from Space Marine Transporters, and if so, does anyone know carrying capacity of a Space Marine Transporter?

Thanks!

A thunderhawk is a spacemarine transporter - a transporter of spacemarines.

space marine transporter is not the name of a type of transporter

Can't say I've ever heard "Space Marine Transporter"

But it's awfully close to the awfully named "Space Marine Landing Craft" which is a separate design:
http://kofler.dot.at/40k/units/Salamander_Landing_Craft.gif

They are different ships. The Space Marines have many different 'interface craft' - they've never shown up in 40k, but used to exist in epic:armageddon.

Thunderhawk Transporter (rhino carrier)


Carries 2 'rhino chassis' or one 'land raider chassis' instead of the normal troop complement

Landing Craft (massed armour landing barge)


Carries six rhino chassis vehicles AND twice the troop capacity of a thunderhawk. Not as maneuverable as a Thawk, and no good in a gunship role, but better armed with defensive turrets to protect itself whilst landed - designed to provide a 'drop in' strongpoint.

A Strike Cruiser generally carries 3 Thunderhawks and 1-2 of these things to bring down attached rhinos, razorbacks, predators, etc.

 NightHowler wrote:
So I've seen both Thunderhawk Transporters and Space Marine Transporters mentioned, sometimes in the same sentence. And I've seen it argued both that they ARE two different ships, and that they are NOT two different ships but rather different names for the same thing. Can anyone give a definitive answer?

Are Thunderhawk Transporters different from Space Marine Transporters, and if so, does anyone know carrying capacity of a Space Marine Transporter?

Thanks!

TH: transporter is a class of Thunderhawk. Its clearly some variation or modification of the Thunderhawk design- not meant for direct combat.
The SM also use other transporters.
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Space_Marine_Landing_Craft

In the attached picture you can see landing ships much, much larger than Thunderhawks.

Thanks for all the replies. Space Marine Landing Craft is what I meant to say.

Im just wondering which chapter wears a suit, glasses and drives fast. Le transporter.
Scars, maybe. They like riding fast stuff.
I suspect the Storm Bird was the LC. Its crew compartment was 3x a thunder hawk. More heavily armed and armoured.

The Stormbird is a 'heavy thunderhawk' - bigger but not hugely so, it has more transport capacity in troops and walkers, and is void shielded, but has limited ability to carry armour by comparison.



Essentially, Thawks and Stormbirds are designed to drop on a battlefield and deploy men straight into the fight.

The Landing Craft sets down some distance away with the armoured support and pre-fabricated castellums, and to act as an immediate firebase.