WY-37B cargo lifter sled

WY–37B cargo lifter sled
Overview
Manufacturer	Weyland-Yutani Corporation
Class	Purpose–built orbit to ground colonization lift equipment
Technical specifications
Length	38.50 meters (ramp deployed) 33.70 meters (ramp retracted)

"It's got four engines. Way overpowered for just lifting and hauling."

―Katherine Daniels (from Alien: Covenant)

The WY–37B cargo lifter sled was an item of terraforming equipment manufactured by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and designed to transport relevant equipment and materials from orbit to a planetary surface.

The United Americas colony ship USCSS Covenant was equipped with a WY–37B; this particular lifter was used to effect an impromptu rescue effort when members of the Covenant crew were stranded on a mysterious world after their lander was destroyed.

Overview

"Personally, I wouldn't get near the cockpit of those things. Dropships can't maneuver for shit, but those Weyland shuttles are just fancy bricks. All you can do is aim them at the ground and hope the retros stop you before you bounce off."

―Lieutenant Feiyan Ko (from Aliens: Fireteam Elite)

The WY–37B was built with durability in mind.

The WY–37B cargo lifter sled was built by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation as an item of orbital to ground colonization lift equipment. It was constructed around a large platform that could be used to move heavy terraforming equipment, cargo, and materials such as housing modules from a vessel in low orbit to a planetary surface. The platform's metal deck was fitted with clamp–down hardpoints and could be magnetized, and featured non–slip treads. Running along either side of the deck, curb rails and latching points were fitted to port and starboard. At the front of the craft was a retractable loading ramp, along with a pressurized crew cabin. Located under the deck, the lifter's undercarriage was equipped with retractable landing skis. Personnel leaving the cabin to perform emergency cargo balance adjustments while the sled was moving could use a harness and winch to stay attached to the craft. Situated to the rear of the deck was a remote–operated crane arm that was docked flush against the hull; this could be fitted with various tools such as a magnetic coupler, an excavation claw, or a hook and cable. Deploying the crane while the lifter was in motion ran the risk of causing the craft to destabilize and crash. Behind the crane were the high-output rear thrusters, and complimenting these were four overpowered VTOL thrusters installed in pairs to port and starboard. The lifter's length measured 33.70 meters when the ramp was retracted, and 38.50 meters when it was extended.

The key principle of the WY–37B's design was reliability and durability—the craft was built to endure tremendous damage and operate in extreme conditions ranging from sub–arctic cold to flying lava, and its modular design meant that stripping the sled of extraneous components—such as backup equipment and storage modules—made it lighter and faster. The sled's thrusters could be fuelled with a plasma intermix to increase engine output and push the lift far beyond the limits of its intended use. The lifter's controls were haptic and intuitive, obviating overreliance on sophisticated electronics and thus requiring little experience to operate effectively and little effort to repair.

History

"Anybody and anything can fly a cargo lift—as long as it's straight down."

―Tennessee Faris (from Alien: Covenant (novel))

Katherine Daniels operating the remote crane

One such lifter, registration 33625381–1, was assigned to the United Americas colony ship USCSS Covenant as of 2104. The Covenant was redirected to a remote planet after intercepting a mysterious signal; shortly after, the ship's lander was destroyed and the expedition team sent to the planet were stranded. Once communications with the Covenant were enabled, chief terraformist Katherine Daniels convinced pilot Tennessee Faris to prepare the WY–37B for use as a makeshift extraction craft, using her intimate knowledge of terraforming equipment to accurately rate the craft for the maneuvers required.

Faris and several other crew members set about modifying the lifter, augmenting the thrusters with a full plasma intermix to give the sled enough power for the insertion and return trip and removing excess weight. Faris was successful in retrieving what remained of the expedition; however, the rescue was complicated by the intervention of a deadly alien creature that attacked the lifter. After Faris attempted to incinerate it with the VTOL thrusters, Daniels was able to grab and crush the creature with the crane arm's claw. The lifter subsequently made a successful return trip to the Covenant in orbit.

A WY–37B was assigned to a dome owned by the radical group known as the Children of the Two Divines at the Grandhi Domes colony on the Grandhi Moon in 2184; during a United States Colonial Marine Corps incursion, the lifter carried ten of the group's acolytes to the nearby Sonderdatch Mine for transformation in a pool of alien pathogen that had been unearthed there.

A battered WY–37B dubbed Daisy was assigned to the Weyland–Yutani commercial vessel USCSS Montero during its search for the disappeared exploration vessel USCSS Cronus.

Another WY–37B was among the equipment at the Tontas Ravine mining facility at Gorham's Colony on the Far Spinward Colonies world of KOI-2650.01. In 2186, the lifter was used by resident Patrick Parks to escape an attack by the insect species known as The Swarm.

In later years, the WY–37B cargo lifter sled found use aboard starfreighters, at Frontier colonies, and on large space stations. As of 2202, the WY-37B had been superseded by the Sanriku Heavy Industries D-Series Light Duty Interface Craft.

Behind the scenes

Concept art with two cranes

The WY–37B cargo lifter sled first appeared in the 2017 film Alien: Covenant, in which it is named as the "Cargo Lift". It later received its full designation in the 2019 book Alien: The Roleplaying Game.

Appearances

• Alien: Covenant/novel
• Alien: The Blueprints
• Alien: The Roleplaying Game
• Chariot of the Gods
• Colonial Marines Operations Manual
• Aliens: Fireteam Elite (indirect mention)
• Building Better Worlds