Beluga Liner
Template:Quote The Beluga Liner is a passenger ship manufactured by Saud Kruger.[1] Comparable to an Imperial Cutter in mass and even bulkier in volume, the Beluga is designed to carry passengers to their destination in comfort. Only the Beluga and its smaller cousins the Orca and the Dolphin can be equipped with Luxury Passenger Cabin modules, allowing it to transport VIPs.
Overview
The third in the Saud Kruger line after the Dolphin and Orca, the Beluga Liner is the Passenger equivalent of the Type-9; sacrificing the huge cargo hold to carry luxury VIPs.
The Beluga Liner is designed to accommodate even more passengers in luxury and comfort than an Orca, but this specialization comes at the cost of speed and maneuverability. The result is a slow, cumbersome ship that is difficult to fit through a station's Access Corridor, deploying the landing gear folds the ship's bulky rear fins down, making it easier to traverse. To compensate, the Beluga features a Class 7 Frame Shift Drive and a 128-tonne Fuel Tank that gives it an impressive travel range for long-distance cruises. The Beluga can also fit a Fighter Hangar to bolster its modest offensive capability, though it is in no way optimized or recommended for extensive combat.
In Combat the Beluga is not very good. While the ship does boast better hardpoints and maneuverability than the Type-9, the hardpoints are positioned in a way that does not allow them good coverage areas or firing arcs, making it difficult to keep even turreted mounts on targets. The biggest downside is the shield generator and hull mass; which make the Beluga very easy to take down with even moderate fire. Combined with its colossal size making it a ridiculously large target the Beluga is often easy pickings for many ships and even a Fighter Hanger only helps so much; especially as the Beluga only has 2 compartments above size 5 that aren't reserved.
As a cargo ship, the Beluga has 368t of potential space. This is fairly poor for a large ship, only beating the Type-7 by 60 tonnes. The Beluga is capable of doing cargo runs but the price puts it in range of the Type-9; which completely overshadows it all together.
As a dedicated, high-capacity passenger liner or simple Explorer, the Beluga suffers from a number of shortcomings that restrict its ability to adequately serve other roles. The number of Reserved Compartments reduce the available outfitting space for optional modules. Furthermore, due to its already high hull mass and lack of Class 7 or above unreserved Internal Compartments, the Beluga cannot hold a Shield Generator larger than Class 6, making it the only ship unable to fit a shield generator that is optimized for its mass. The Beluga also has issues with heat management, which can exceed safe levels during and immediately after a Hyperspace jump due the heat build-up from the charging FSD; this can be partially mitigated by installing a higher-rated Power Plant, but the added mass will hinder the ship's jump range.
The Beluga is debatably worse than the Orca predecessor. It has a worse jump range, only marginally better combat potential and a frustratingly large size making docking difficult. The Beluga is able to carry a large amount of passengers however, it is unbeaten in the profit one can make for bulk VIP passenger missions. However for long range missions, the Dolphin is a better option and for bulk lower class, the Type-9 can carry more. This makes the Beluga a very specialised ship that excels in bulk VIP passenger delivery, but little else.
The Beluga Liner is available only to the owners of Elite Dangerous: Horizons.[2]
Exploration vessel
The Beluga Liner is a large class VIP passenger vessel. The Beluga will be the most "sci-fi, star trek" ship available, that makes it great at being an explorer.[3]
In Beyond Chapter Four, the optional compartments free up. This means there are 4 size 6 slots, a couple of 5s and some 3s. Pair that with integrating the Discovery scanner you can be an explorer with a large ship and extended range.[3] Here is the Beta Coriolis rough build.
- 1 size 6 fighter bay: 2 different craft To check out all the new planetary goodies.
- 1 size 4 SRV: 2 SRVs in case 1 goes down
- a couple AFMS: for repairing, and another in case the first goes kaput.
- 1 size 3d repair limpet controller
- a size 32 cargo, but filled with 6 limpets
- a size 5 shield (smallest I could go)
- Surface scanner
- Guardian booster (if you have it)
- A fuel tank: To go further into the unknown areas without scoopable stars
- A very rough engineering job got the above build to ~40Ly jump range to ~50 with the guardian tech
Many explorers don't need a Fighter Bay, but once an explorer gets enough rank and money, they would go back out to the black with a big ship capable of doing many lengthy trips to unscoopable star systems. It has a great view too.
Purchase Locations
| System | Station | Last date seen | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | Always available | 10% discount, Founders Permit needed |
| Brestla | i Sola Prospect | Always available | 20% surcharge |
| Diaguandri | Ray Gateway | Mar 18, 2018 | 15% discount |
| 44 Rho-1 Sagittarii | Crippen Reach | Aug 12, 2017 | |
| Alioth | Irkutsk | January 2, 2018 | |
| Arjung | Hiyya | Sep 9, 2017 | 15% discount |
| Baedule | Coye Horizons | Oct 29, 2016 | |
| Waq | Fischer Orbital | Nov 14, 2016 | |
| Jitabos | Finney Ring | Dec 1, 2016 | |
| Qama | Thurston Ring | Apr 8, 2017 | 15% discount |
| Exioce | Macmillan Depot | Oct 29, 2016 | |
| Anlave | Kobayashi City | Oct 25, 2016 | |
| LHS 3447 | Dalton Gateway | Sep 25, 2016 | |
| Gende | Bellunas Hub | Jan 29, 2017 | |
| CD-61 1439 | Huygens Gateway | Feb 7, 2017 | |
| NLTT 21088 | Weber Terminal | Mar 02, 2017 | |
| Nahua | Fuller Vision | June 18, 2017 | |
| LTT 377 | Zoline Port | Apr 14, 2017 | |
| LTT 4961 | Conway City | July 17, 2017 | |
| Eleu | Farmer Silo | May 01, 2017 | |
| Harm | Gentil Hub | July 12, 2017 | 15% discount |
| Toolfa | Crook Hub | July 17, 2017 | |
| Alrai | Bounds Hub | Sep 30, 2017 | |
| Zaragas | Jenner Hub | August 6, 2017 | |
| Rhea | Carter Port | August 7, 2017 | |
| Hill Pa Hsi | Curie Gateway | May 5, 2018 | |
| Lembava | Goldstein Port | May 19, 2018 | 15% discount |
| LHS 20 | Ohm City | July 10, 2018 | 15% discount |
| Ceos | Brunel Hub | Oct 09, 2018 |
Outfitting
- Main article: Outfitting
All ships are highly customisable through the Outfitting menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default load-out for the Beluga Liner.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 |
| Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 0 | |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 6 | 6 |
| Thruster Mounting | Thrusters | E | 7 | 7 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 7 | 7 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | E | 8 | 8 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 6 | 6 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 5 | 5 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x128] | C | 7 | 7 |
| Internal Compartments | Shield Generator | E | 6 | 6 |
| Cargo Rack [x32] | E | 5 | 6 | |
| Passenger Cabin | D | 6 | 6 | |
| Passenger Cabin | D | 6 | 6 | |
| Passenger Cabin | D | 4 | 5 | |
| Passenger Cabin | D | 4 | 5 | |
| Cargo Rack [x8] | E | 3 | 4 | |
| Cargo Rack [x4] | E | 2 | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 3 | |
| Planetary Approach Suite (H) | I | 1 | 1 |
- (L) = Loaned Module
- [x#] = Capacity
- (H) = Requires Elite Dangerous: Horizons, reserved solely for Planetary Approach Suite
Notes
Trivia
- The Beluga Liner is the largest pilotable ship in Elite Dangerous; larger than even the Imperial Cutter.
- Beyond Chapter Four removes restrictions from the restricted module slots on the Beluga Liner, Dolphin and Orca. This allows them to equip modules other than Passenger Cabins in those slots.[4]
Videos
Gallery
- Beluga Liner
- Concept of the Beluga Liner
- From v2.2 beta
- From v2.2 beta
- From v2.2 beta
- From v2.2 beta
- From v2.2 beta
- From v2.2 beta
- From v2.2 beta
- The right side of the cockpit of a Beluga Liner (from v2.2 beta)
- The rear right hand side of the cockpit of a Beluga Liner (from v2.2 beta)
- Beluga Liner landing
- Beluga Liner
- Beluga Liner at station
- Saud Kruger Beluga Liner Blueprint
- Beluga Liner official art
- Beluga Liner cockpit and black hole
- Beluga Liner and a planetary ring system
- Beluga Liner and a planet
- Beluga Liner and Jaques station
- Beluga Liner - Saud Kruger art
