Brotherhood airship

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In the Brotherhood of Steel's history, they have relied on a number of airships, from simple airborne vehicles to flying fortresses that stretch the definition of "airship". Although first introduced in Fallout Tactics (which was later made non-canon), they were reintroduced in Fallout 4 and made an appearance in the Fallout TV series.

Background[]

The Brotherhood originally possessed a fleet of airships, lost over time to fighting with super mutant remnants after the destruction of the Unity or scuttled for replacement parts. One was rumored to have crashed on an expedition to the Midwest, with the wreckage remaining where it crash-landed.^[1] Due to poor historical record, their precise status remains in dispute among Brotherhood scholars, with the general consensus being that they were all destroyed.^[2]

The next generation of Brotherhood airships was born after the defeat of the Enclave at Adams Air Force Base in 2277, with work starting around 2278.^[3] The sharpest minds the Brotherhood had at its disposal spent two years on its design and assembling the necessary parts, salvaging scrap metal and Enclave equipment from the ruined AFB. Once the design process was complete around 2280,^[4] it took over two years to assemble the airship and launch its maiden voyage in 2282.^[5][6] With Proctor Ingram's oversight, the first post-War airship^{[Non-game 1]} has remained travel-ready and afloat,^[7] providing the Brotherhood with an unparalleled aerial advantage in the wasteland.^[8]

The airship was not initially under Arthur Maxson's command after its launch, instead operating outside the Capital Wasteland, nor did it have its name yet.^[9] It eventually was assigned to him and was christened the Prydwen by the Elder himself, a name he took from "historical fiction" about a man destined to be a king, and his journey to liberate his people from tyranny and oppression.^[10] Under the direction of its skipper, Lancer-Captain Kells, the Prydwen underwent extensive travels along the East Coast^[11] before it was re-deployed to the Commonwealth in 2287, in response to the reports by Recon Squad Gladius confirming the existence of the Institute. Its deployment signaled to the Brotherhood that they were going into full-scale war against their enemy.^[12]

Arriving in the region shortly after the Sole Survivor entered Fort Hagen looking for Conrad Kellogg, Boston Airport was chosen as the sight of the airship's mooring, as it had intact pre-War electrical systems to support the Prydwen's massive energy requirements without wasting fuel, and was remote enough to allow most incoming threats to be seen while simultaneously keeping it within striking distance of the city.^[13][14]

Ships[]

Early airships[]

The early airships were salvaged designs pressed into service by the Brotherhood of Steel, lost or scuttled for parts.^{[Non-game 1]}

The Prydwen[]

Weighing in at 40,000 tons, the Prydwen is a rigid-frame dirigible,^{[Non-game 2]} held afloat by four giant gasbags inside the frame of the ship. Due to the rarity of helium, the Brotherhood used hydrogen as a lifting gas,^[15] with heavy armor surrounding the main deck to protect the gasbags and all the people and equipment stored within from harm.^[16] The plating is designed to take plenty of punishment without losing the ability to fly,^[17] while the gas bags inside are maintained around the clock by a team of scribes overseen by a senior scribe,^[18] and off limits to anyone but authorized personnel.^[19] Even then, they'd require explosives to rupture and ignite the hydrogen inside,^[20] though any open flame is recommended to be kept outside the hull as a precaution.^[21]

The heart of the Prydwen is a nuclear fusion plant, providing power to the systems and powering the main engines: Four massive propellers at the stern of the ship, supported by four large thrusters mounted on the flight deck. Before the journey to the Commonwealth, the original power plant was replaced with an updated fusion plant pulled by the Brotherhood from an aircraft carrier wreckage, and reached almost one hundred percent efficiency by arrival. However, the need to keep such a massive airship afloat puts a strain on the system, in particular the cooling, and requires constant supply of coolant^[22] to pass through the four main heat exchangers located on the exterior of the main deck. The thrusters also require regular maintenance, due to the proximity of the navigational beacon.^[23] While Ingram stays ahead of repairs and there's plenty of fuel for the fusion reactor, coolant remains a critical issue,^[24] as it may require the Prydwen to land if it runs out.^[22] Otherwise, a crash is likely.^[25]

The Prydwen itself is not built for fighting,^[26] as any onboard weapon systems would just slow her down.^[27] Instead, it relies on its complement of troops, Vertibirds, and supplies to engage threats. The flight deck can service up to four Vertibirds simultaneously,^[28] and if all fails, the airship can take evasive action to avoid incoming fire. The only threat aside from internal sabotage is an overwhelming first strike,^[29][30] making evasion impossible. Any such attack only has one chance to succeed, as otherwise the Brotherhood would take it out of harms way.^[31] The greatest defense the Prydwen has is the degree of coordination it provides: As the nerve center and supply base,^[14] its sensors and computer systems provide a constant stream of intel to field units,^[32] while onboard spaces can be readily converted to labs to study the enemy and provide a further edge in battle.^[33]

While it's well known she's a design prioritizing safety and reliability over looks,^[16] she is considered to be a triumph of Brotherhood engineering^[34] and serving aboard an honor^[35] (though the actual quality of life aboard is sorely lacking due to 18 hour shifts and the smell).^[36] Those so honored may be doubly "honored" by being reassigned to rust scraping duty on the outside, a method of reinforcing discipline favored by Captain Kells.^[37] To outsiders, it is a behemoth stretching the definition of airship,^[38] capable of bringing entire armies to a region.^[7][39]

Non-canon continuity[]

The Brotherhood constructed airships near the end of the 22nd century in New California.^{[Non-canon 1]} They were a conventional rigid-frame design, with internal gasbags keeping the ship afloat, protected by a metal frame and steel mesh beneath a canvas covering. Propulsion was provided by turboprop engines in external nacelles, with steering and stabilization provided by rear fins. The crew traveled together with their equipment in gondolas suspended beneath the zeppelin.^{[Non-canon 2]}

These were used to dispatch a rebellious minority to the east, on an airborne mission to track down and assess the threat the Unity remnants might pose. While crossing the Rocky Mountains, a great storm threw the main airship off course, while smaller ships were completely lost in the ensuing chaos. The flagship eventually made an emergency landing on the outskirts of Chicago, with the survivors establishing a new Brotherhood of Steel, using salvage from the wreckage to establish a foothold in the eastern wastelands.^{[Non-canon 1]}

The Caswennan[]

Early preview material for the Fallout TV series included an image of an airship that was identified as the Caswennan, so-named after another ship used by King Arthur of Camelot. The pre-release articles specifically delineated it from the Prydwen from Fallout 4. However, during its appearances in the show post-release, the ship was shown to bear the name 'PRYDWEN' on the side of its hull, along with an indication that it was part of the reinforcements from the Commonwealth. The name of the ship is never said by a character in-series, nor has there been any officially sourced confirmation of its identity.

Gallery[]

The Prydwen

The Prydwen in the Fallout 4 trailer

The Prydwen in The Art of Fallout 4 p. 254

The Prydwen in the Fallout TV series

References[]

Non-game

Non-canon