The RDA Tunnel Boring Machine or TBMs for short, is a gargantuan-sized tunnel boring machine that is still considered extremely large by any other standards. Only one was found inside Mercer's Base in the Last Strike mission.[1]
Specifications/Overview[]
It is a standard tunnel boring machine with a large 14 meter diameter cutting head and a length of over a 122 meters; it is among one of the largest ground vehicles from the RDA[1]. The TBM that was found inside Mercer's Base was labelled number 05, indicating that at least four additional TBMs were created in the Western Frontier or elsewhere on Pandora.[1]
The TBM is used to bore a complex system of artificial tunnel systems that will be reinforced and turned into a habitable underground base. Mercer had at least one TBM still in operation, possibly to expand the tunnel system of Mercer's Base.[1]
Based on preliminary artwork, the TBM would have two primary decks. The first uppermost deck was the conveyor deck where the TBM's conveyor belt would have been located.[2] This deck would have been used to funnel the bored minerals on a conveyor system which would have been discharged by an umbilical cord system at the subterrene's rear.[2] The second deck would have been the operator's deck where the engineers and driver would have been located to maintain the machine. Access to the second deck would have been done on a ramp located at the rear of the landship.[2] Compared to conventional TBMs, this TBM is comparatively stripped-down and exposed despite its size.
Trivia[]
- The true size of the TBM was an unknown until the release of concept art for the vehicle on ArtStation that shows both a normal man and the main character Na'vi underneath the TBM, allowing for accurate calculations.[2]
- Despite its impressive size, only a small fraction - the head - was actually shown in the base game. Final modelling showcased the vehicle's true immensity.
- Nevertheless, a hologram of the full vehicle was shown inside Mercer's Base[3].
- The largest TBM ever made in real life was the Big Bertha. Big Bertha had a cutting head diameter of 17.5 meters and a total length of 99 meters. Compared to the Big Bertha, the RDA's TBM had a smaller cutting head but a much larger length.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora: Last Strike
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Horizontal Miner
- ↑ Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora