Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson

Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson
Machine Information
Created by	RDA
Used by	Humans
Type
Armament	Two MBS-9M Hydras M60 Machine Gun
Size	15.9 meters long, 14.99 wide
Speed	Max. 144 Knots
Behind the scenes
First appearance	Avatar

The Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson is a human light ducted-fan craft designed to carry out mostly non-combat missions. The Samson is armed with door guns, detachable rocket pods, and is the workhorse of RDA operations on Pandora. It is used to transport cargo and personnel to and from isolated sites. A hook point for sling load operations allows the Samson to carry extra or oversized cargo.

History

Samson 16 landing at Site 26 in the Hallelujah Mountains

The Samson has been in use on Earth for decades. Its various trial runs in Antarctica, the Himalayas, and Honduras proved the aircraft could fly well in thin or thick atmospheres or in extreme temperatures with minimal maintenance. When the RDA needed a reliable and sturdy aerial workhorse aircraft, they naturally chose the field-tested Samson and hardened its electrical systems to prepare it for the rigors of Pandora.

The rear cargo doors are normally left open for flight operations on Pandora, resulting in the need for exopacks for any occupants in the cargo area. The cockpit is separately pressurized at +0.3 psi, to prevent leak-back of toxic gases and the flight crew can operate without them even with the rest of the aircraft depressurized. In the event of an uncontrollable influx of toxic air, there are emergency breathing masks (BIBS) plumbed to each of the four seats.

Weaponry

As a utility craft, the Samson's primary defense is its speed and maneuverability. The armaments usually seen on the SA-2 are a pair of door-mounted MBS-9M Hydras, or M60 Machine Guns (which are also capable of being fixed forward to be remotely operated by the pilot), and missile pods on pylons immediately aft of the cockpit. An alternate configuration is one Hydra on the left pedestal and a .30 Caliber Machine Gun on the right pedestal.

Drive system

Samson safety procedures

The Samson uses a pair of ducted fans with coaxial propellers, increasing the lift efficiency while granting excellent maneuverability. Both fans are capable of rotating independently backwards and forwards. Left and right movement is possible by changing the speed of either one of the fans; the Samson moves forward by rotating its fans horizontally. As a result, the Samson is incredibly maneuverable.

Notable Samsons

• Samson 13 - It was used to deploy troops during the Assault on the Tree of Souls and later destroyed during battle.
• Samson 14 - Participated in the Destruction of The Hometree.
• Samson 16 - The Samson piloted by Trudy Chacon.
• Samson 19 - Used by Miles Quaritch to pick up rogue avatars Jake Sully, Norm Spellman and Grace Augustine.
• Samson 20 - Participated in the Assault on the Tree of Souls but was shot down by Neytiri.

Trivia

• The overall design used for the SA-2, akin to the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor helicopter, has been quite popular in other media. A number of other vehicles featured in various video games over the years have employed a similar design - for example, Command & Conquer's Orca bomber/fighter, Halo's AV-14 Attack VTOL, UH-144 Falcon, and Sparrowhawk; Fallout's Vertibirds, Starcraft 2's Banshee, HK-Aerials in The Terminator and Terminator 2 (both written and directed by James Cameron), Power Rangers SPD's Delta Runner 2, the Colonial Marine Dropships in Aliens (also directed by James Cameron), Section 9's Botanachi DRHC transport in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Vipers in The Incredibles and numerous gunships in Supreme Commander.

Cameron's influence however came from Russian "Hind D" heavy gunships that he used on the set of Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1983.

• In real life, Aérospatiale was a French aeronautics company that was split apart and merged into various other companies between 1992 and 2000. The helicopter part combined with DASA to create Eurocopter.
• The SA-2 features a fuselage that is reminiscent of those made by Eurocopter and Aérospatiale, including the EC-135 and EC-145.
• Ducted fan VTOL aircraft have been flown since at least the 1960s. A notable example was the Bell X-22, a quad-ducted fan experimental aircraft built for the US military. It has no relation to the later V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. Though successful, no military aircraft since have used that technology.
• The Samson fills the real-world military role of a medium, multi-role utility helicopter such as the UH-1 "Huey" and Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk, or a heavily-armed transport-gunship hybrid like the Mil Mi-24 "Hind".
• There are several parallels to UH-1 "Huey", the most famous Vietnam-era helicopter, in the SA-2 Samson. Notably, there are skids rather than wheels of the UH-60, M60 machine guns guns are mounted in the doors rather than a dedicated window, reminiscent of those carried as door guns on those helicopters, and the silhouettes with the folded bipod at the muzzle of the gun are similar. Another visual cue is the ability to mount two MBS-9M Hydras in a fixed, forward-firing position on stub arms near the cargo doors to act as a gunship, something the UH-1 could do as well. The rotor sounds are similar to a four-bladed helicopter like the Blackhawk, as opposed to the distinctive sound of a two-bladed helicopter like the UH-1.
• Samson was a powerful figure in the Old Testament.

Sources

• Pandorapedia - SA-2 Samson article

References

See the image gallery for Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson