Skyranger
The Skyranger is a troop transporter. The fastest in its class, it also features Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capabilities. At the beginning it is one of your most critical assets, as the only way to get your soldiers to the scene of any Alien Missions apart from them attacking your base. It is also the only way until you research later craft for you to get back all the alien materials that are found on those missions.
General Information
With a listed top speed of 760 and a large fuel capacity, the Skyranger is capable of transporting X-COM soldiers to missions around the globe.
While airborne, the Skyranger consumes fuel at the rate of 7 units (0.466%) every ten minutes, at top speed. This gives the Skyranger a maximum (radial) range of 13,553 nautical miles, while being airborne for 17h, 50m. Its maximum (distance) range would be 27,106 nautical miles, while being airborne for 35h, 40m (1 day, 11hrs, 40m). While patrolling in an area, fuel consumption is cut to 3 units every ten minutes, allowing for a maximum stationary patrol time of 83hrs, 20m. (3 days, 11 hrs, 20m).
[Jasonred] : The Skyranger has the most fuel capacity of any ship in the game, and can stay in the air for a max of 3.5 DAYS, compared to the Avenger which can remain in the air for a max of 5 hours. Thus, the Skyranger pretty much remains the only craft capable of performing sweeps for suspected alien bases throughout the game.
After a flight, the Skyranger refills its tanks at 3.33% every half hour, on the half hour. (Since you don't see decimals, refuelling follows a pattern of +3%, +3%, +4% fuel.) Thus it can take up to 15 hours (30 half hours) to refuel, if on empty. It will then perform a rearming step, even though it has no weapons. It will drop out of rearming status and be ready to fly when the clock is next straight up on an hour. Thus, rearming will either take a half hour (if fuelling ended at XX:30) or an hour (if fuelling ended at XX:00).
Note that the $500k cost for each Skyranger is both an order price and a monthly fee, so keeping a lot of these active will cut into your finances. It is usually best not to order a new Skyranger towards the end of a month, as you will pay two lease payments in quick succession. Fortunately the agency leasing them too you isnt too stingy to ask you to pay the monthly rent on an aircraft the havent delivered yet, so you can order them up to 71 hours before the end of a given month without paying out the extra. Unlike transferring employees however, you still pay the rental for Skyrangers that are transferring between bases at the end of the month, although you probably do get to save the wages of any soldiers on board at the time.
Vital Statistics
| Maximum Speed: | 760 |
| Acceleration: | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity: | 1,500 |
| Weapon Pods: | None |
| Damage Capacity: | 150 |
| Cargo Space: | 14 |
| Initial/Monthly Fee: | $500,000 |
| HWP Capacity: | 3 |
See Also
- Lightning - New Fighter-Transporter
- Avenger - Ultimate Craft
- Data Canister: Skyranger