Alien Aircraft

The Alien Aircraft, also known as the Alien Airship or the Alien Plane, is a flying creature found on the Xen borderworld.

Overview
There are two types of Alien Aircraft. One type, encountered as a regenerating parade only in the first map of the Half-Life chapter Interloper, has a pointed head and a single tail. The other, which is encountered in all Half-Life games, has a V-shaped head and two tails. The outer hides of both are impervious to damage even from the RPG, and are seemingly aerodynamic, giving aid in flight.

Behavior and skills


These aliens have a fairly large variety of abilities. Firstly, the said aliens are capable of controlling their flight very easily by unknown means, reaching the speed of even a military fighter jet, evidenced by the shock waves created as they zoom past; In addition, the Alien Aircraft are capable of generating an orange beam of energy from their similarly colored underside, most notably seen in the beginning of Opposing Force, where several take down US Ospreys Goose 7 and 3 using the same beam.

Application
The double tailed Alien Aircraft is used widely for other Xen aliens, usually for transporting Alien Grunts, somewhat imitating deployment of US Marines from Ospreys several at a time, as well as the troop transport structures commonly carried by Combine Dropships. However, as they pass by, it is notable that these soldiers appear through violet flashes from its skin, suggesting that it merely teleports them from other places. They are also used to gain air superiority for the Vortigaunts and Alien Grunts, shown when a group of Ospreys are attacked by Alien Aircraft at the beginning of Opposing Force.

Behind the scenes
As it is only named in the Half-Life Prima Guide that few players own, the Alien Aircraft is commonly known among players as the "Manta Ray", due to its similarities with the fish with the same name. "Flyer" is also sometimes used, as it is its entity name in Decay.

Trivia

 * In Half-Life: Decay, a double-tailed Alien Aircraft serves as the game's final boss, and bears slight differences to their counterparts: A scarlet red underside with a slit down the middle, and faint yellow stripes on its outer skin.


 * This particular Alien Aircraft appearance is the only one that can be destroyed by rockets. Its arrival's purpose is to destroy the "Displacement beacon" set up by Dr. Richard Keller, meant to create a "Resonance reversal".


 * The Alien Aircraft that destroy "Gooses 3 and 7" are also colored differently than their normal appearances.

List of appearances

 * Half-Life
 * Half-Life: Opposing Force
 * Half-Life: Blue Shift
 * Half-Life: Decay