Alongside the Land Raider and the Drop Pod, the Thunderhawk Gunship provides the Adeptus Astartes with the ability to assault directly into the very teeth of an enemy's defences. Combining armour, firepower and transport capacity into a vessel synonymous with all that the Space Marines stand for, the Thunderhawk is one of the most revered war machines in a Chapter's formidable arsenal.

雷鷹炮艇和蘭德掠奪者、空降艙共同為阿斯塔特修會(huì)提供了直接攻入敵軍防御堅(jiān)固處的能力。雷鷹炮艇將火力、裝甲和運(yùn)載力整合到了一種與星際戰(zhàn)士們代表的一切同義的載具中，它是星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)團(tuán)可怖的武庫(kù)中最受尊崇的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)機(jī)器之一。

It fulfils a number of different strategic and tactical roles, and its primary mission is that of a drop ship, a function the vessel excels at thanks to its ability to carry several Space Marine squads at once. as well as substantial stocks of ammunition and other equipment required to keep them fighting longer and more effectively.Often deployed from orbit having been transported to a war zone in the armoured holds of a Space Marine strike cruiser or battle barge, a flight of Thunderhawks is sufficient to deliver an entire strike force into battle before the enemy has even realised the extent of his peril. Shielded by multiple layers of armour constructed using the same artifice-rites as the Land Raider's, the Thunderhawk is able to weather the fires of atmospheric re-entry and withstand even the heaviest of ground-to-air defensive fire. Its mighty RX-92-00 Mars pattern thruster engines provide the power to keep this armoured behemoth aloft as it screams down upon its foe, and jump pack-equipped Assault squads often deploy from the frontal assault bay while the Thunderhawk still in flight, chainsword-wielding warriors descending upon their enemy upon columns of fire to deliver death in the name of the Emperor. Other squads are then deployed as soon as the gunship touches down, charging from its lowered assault ramp within seconds of the undercarriage hitting the ground.

雷鷹炮艇執(zhí)行著多種不同的戰(zhàn)術(shù)和戰(zhàn)略職責(zé)，它的主要任務(wù)是充當(dāng)空降艇，而且由于它能同時(shí)運(yùn)載數(shù)個(gè)星際戰(zhàn)士小隊(duì)，并且攜帶了大量彈藥儲(chǔ)備和進(jìn)行更為長(zhǎng)期且高效的戰(zhàn)斗所需的其他裝備，雷鷹炮艇（的確）擅長(zhǎng)于執(zhí)行此類(lèi)任務(wù)。通常情況下，雷鷹炮艇是被一艘星際戰(zhàn)士打擊巡洋艦或戰(zhàn)列母艦運(yùn)輸?shù)綉?zhàn)區(qū)后從軌道上進(jìn)行部署。在敵軍意識(shí)到自己所面臨的危險(xiǎn)程度之前，雷鷹炮艇們的一次航程就足以將整支打擊部隊(duì)輸送到戰(zhàn)斗中。雷鷹炮艇被多層裝甲保護(hù)著，這些裝甲的建造過(guò)程中使用了與蘭德掠奪者相同的制造儀式，能經(jīng)受住大氣層再入過(guò)程中產(chǎn)生火焰，并能承受住哪怕最為密集猛烈的地對(duì)空防御炮火。當(dāng)雷鷹炮艇怒號(hào)著沖向敵人時(shí)，強(qiáng)大的RX-92-00 火星型推進(jìn)引擎為這些鋼鐵巨獸提供了在高空中飛行的動(dòng)力；而且在雷鷹航行的過(guò)程中，裝備了噴射背包的突擊小隊(duì)通常會(huì)從前側(cè)突擊艙中進(jìn)行部署，揮舞著鏈鋸劍的戰(zhàn)士們架著火焰雙翼從天而降，以帝皇之名在敵人中降下死亡。而炮艇一經(jīng)著陸，其他小隊(duì)也會(huì)被部署，在起落架撞到地面后的幾秒鐘內(nèi)，星際戰(zhàn)士們便從下降的攻擊坡道上沖出來(lái)。

The Thunderhawk's utility does not end with the deployment of its lethal cargo of Space Marines, for it is a formidable heavy weapons platform in its own right. Equipped with a dorsal-mounted turbo laser or oversized battle cannon, the Thunderhawk is able to engage targets as large as a Scout Titan or super-heavy tank as well as enemy fortifications. In addition to its main weaponry, the Thunderhawk mounts numerous heavy bolters with which it can scour?a landing zone clear of enemy troops in a storm of mass reactive shells. An additional payload of wing-mounted bombs and missiles allows the gunship to operate in direct support of the squads it delivers into battle, its commander coordinating with squad leaders to obliterate targets as the battle unfolds.

雷鷹炮艇的功能并不會(huì)止步于部署其致命的星際戰(zhàn)士乘客，因?yàn)槠渥陨硪彩且患刹赖闹匚淦髌脚_(tái)。雷鷹炮艇的背部安裝了渦輪激光炮或超大號(hào)的戰(zhàn)斗炮，它們能夠與偵查泰坦和超重型坦克那般龐大的目標(biāo)交戰(zhàn)，也能對(duì)抗敵軍要塞工事。除了主武器之外，雷鷹炮艇還裝備了多門(mén)重爆彈——這些武器能用風(fēng)暴般密集的質(zhì)爆彈掃射清理掉登陸區(qū)的敵軍部隊(duì)。額外掛載于機(jī)翼的炸彈或?qū)椩试S雷鷹炮艇向自己投放到戰(zhàn)斗中的小隊(duì)們提供直接支援，隨著戰(zhàn)斗的展開(kāi)，炮艇指揮官與小隊(duì)領(lǐng)袖們能合作殲滅目標(biāo)。

The Thunderhawk also provides a Space Marine strike force with an unprecedented degree of strategic flexibility. It can serve as a highly armed and mobile command base for a battle leader, especially when several different Space Marine forces, often drawn from different Chapters, are operating in concert. Its holds can carry large stocks of ammunition and it can be used for the evacuation of Space Marines too seriously wounded in battle to be able to continue the fight. In pursuance of the Space Marines' role as rapid strike shock warriors, Thunderhawks are often used to redeploy a force to another area of a war zone or to deliver them back to a battle barge or strike cruiser waiting in orbit to be transported to another planet or star system entirely. The ability to pull Space Marines out of the line the instant the battle is over and to commit them to fresh action without delay keeps the enemy guessing as to where and when the next attack will fall, degrading enemy morale and command effectiveness before another shot has even been fired.

雷鷹炮艇也能為星際戰(zhàn)士打擊部隊(duì)提供程度前所未有的戰(zhàn)略機(jī)動(dòng)性。它能充當(dāng)一位戰(zhàn)斗領(lǐng)袖的高度武裝化且移動(dòng)化的指揮基地，尤其是多支不同的星際戰(zhàn)士部隊(duì)（通常是抽取自不同的星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)團(tuán)）一齊行動(dòng)時(shí)。雷鷹炮艇貨艙中能攜帶大量的彈藥儲(chǔ)備，它也能夠帶著受傷過(guò)于嚴(yán)重以至于不能繼續(xù)作戰(zhàn)的星際戰(zhàn)士們疏散撤退。為了發(fā)揮星際戰(zhàn)士們作為快速突擊進(jìn)攻部隊(duì)的職能，雷鷹炮艇通常被用于將一支部隊(duì)重新部署到戰(zhàn)區(qū)的另一個(gè)地區(qū)，或?qū)⑺麄兯突氐却谲壍郎系膽?zhàn)列母艦或打擊巡洋艦中，以此將其完全送到另一個(gè)行星或另一個(gè)恒星系中。雷鷹炮艇擁有在戰(zhàn)斗結(jié)束的瞬間將星際戰(zhàn)士從戰(zhàn)線(xiàn)中拉出并讓他們毫不拖延地投入新的行動(dòng)的能力，這會(huì)讓敵人們猜測(cè)下一次攻擊會(huì)發(fā)生于何時(shí)何地，在戰(zhàn)斗開(kāi)始前便能削弱對(duì)方的士氣與指揮效能。

The Thunderhawk is unusual in that it can operate effectively in the depths of space as well as in the atmosphere of a terrestrial body. In space, each RX-92-00 thruster serves as a rocket booster. Fuelled by the aircraft's onboard fusion reactor, the forward turbo-fan part of the engine can be isolated from the exhausts and combustion chambers. Fuel generated in the reactor is pumped into the combustion chamber, where it burns to create a high pressure, high-velocity stream of gases, which then flow through the engine's shaped exhaust nozzle, accelerating them further.Additional retro exhaust nozzles are positioned around the Thunderhawk's hull and these vent off some of the gases to control the Thunderhawk's direction in zero-gravity conditions, allowing it to manoeuvre effectively. The combined engines are highly complex and require many maintenance rites to keep them working in the proper manner.

雷鷹炮艇不尋常的一點(diǎn)是：它能在太空深處有效執(zhí)行任務(wù)，在星球大氣中亦然。在太空中，每臺(tái)RX-92-00 都能用作火箭助推器。由于炮艇上的核聚變引擎反應(yīng)堆會(huì)提供燃料，發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的前向渦扇部分可以與排氣口和燃燒室隔離。反應(yīng)堆產(chǎn)生的燃料被泵入燃燒室，燃燒后產(chǎn)生高壓且告訴的燃?xì)饬?，之后氣流通過(guò)發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的成型排氣噴口噴出，進(jìn)一步加速。雷鷹炮艇船體的周?chē)舶惭b了額外的制動(dòng)排氣噴口，在零重力環(huán)境中，這些噴口能釋放出氣體來(lái)控制雷鷹炮艇的（飛行）方向，允許其進(jìn)行有效機(jī)動(dòng)。這些復(fù)合引擎高度復(fù)雜，而且需要很多維護(hù)儀式來(lái)令其以適當(dāng)?shù)姆绞竭\(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。

Rites of Construction?

建造儀式

A Thunderhassk gunship is amongst the most advanced and technologically sophisticated vehicles deployed by any Imperial force.?Each gunship is packed with advanced targeting sensory, communication, avionics and navigational equipment, protected inside a heavily armoured hull.

雷鷹炮艇是帝國(guó)部隊(duì)所部署的最先進(jìn)且技術(shù)最為復(fù)雜的載具之一，每架炮艇都裝備了先進(jìn)的瞄準(zhǔn)感知儀、通訊器、航電設(shè)備和導(dǎo)航設(shè)備，這些精密儀器都被保護(hù)在裝甲厚重的船體中。

Its armour?is constructed using the same techniques as those used in the Land Raider and is a layered composite of ablative ceramite over an absorption and energy dissipation layer, a thermoplas fibre mesh, titanium rolled plates and an adamantium inner hull.This combination provides superb protection from incoming fire and the thermoplas fibre mesh provides extra heat shielding during entry into a planet's atmosphere.During the course of a battle, the Thunderhawk must be able to withstand repeated atmospheric entries as well as weathering the attacks of the enemy. As result, the hull of a Thunderhawk is also resistant to many heat based attacks such as melta weapons or Eldar fusion guns.The Thunderhawk therefore has a reputation as a very robust aircraft that can sustain an immense amount of damage and keep flying, bludgeoning its way through enemy interceptors and flak fire to land its cargo safely into the heart of any battlefield. Despite their complex systems, these masters of the sky have a well-deserved reputation for being rugged and reliable.

建造雷鷹炮艇的裝甲和蘭德掠奪者的裝甲是用相同技術(shù)建造而成的，是在精金內(nèi)構(gòu)船體、一層能量吸收和耗散層體、一層熱塑纖維網(wǎng)絡(luò)和（多層）鈦金屬軋板外覆蓋燒蝕陶鋼層后組成的分層復(fù)合材料。這種復(fù)合材料船體提供了對(duì)于來(lái)襲火力的絕佳防御力；而在進(jìn)入星球大氣時(shí)，熱塑纖維網(wǎng)絡(luò)也能提供額外的熱量屏蔽。在戰(zhàn)斗過(guò)程中，雷鷹炮艇必須能夠經(jīng)受住反復(fù)進(jìn)入大氣層（所產(chǎn)生的熱量）并抵御敵人的攻擊。結(jié)果就是雷鷹炮艇的船體能夠抵御很多基于熱量的進(jìn)攻，比如熱熔武器和靈族融合炮的射擊。因此雷鷹炮艇是作為一種極其堅(jiān)固的飛行器而著稱(chēng)，能夠承受巨大損傷并繼續(xù)飛行，在敵軍的截?fù)魴C(jī)和高射火炮的射擊中撕開(kāi)一條道路，將貨物安全地送到所有戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)的中心。盡管有著復(fù)雜的系統(tǒng)，但這些天空主宰們有著堅(jiān)固可靠的良好聲譽(yù)。

As well as its armour construction, a Thunderhawk has other systems in common with the Land Raider.Multi-spectral remote targeting surveyors control the primary dorsal weapon and forward heavy bolters, relaying information to the aircraft's gunner on the flight deck.

除了裝甲構(gòu)造之外，雷鷹也安裝了其他與蘭德掠奪者相同的系統(tǒng)。多光譜遠(yuǎn)程瞄準(zhǔn)測(cè)量?jī)x控制著主要的背部武器和前側(cè)重爆彈，并向飛行甲板上的炮手傳遞信息。

The vehicle's primary narrow-band, long-range communications transmitter is situated on top of the fuselage and serves as a relay between forces on the ground and those in orbit, whilst a sensor array and electronic counter measures allow for the detection and lamming of enemy signals, sensors and tracking equipment. The Thunderhawk also has its own navigational equipment which relays information to Space Marine command units. Should a Thunderhawk be shot down, then the vehicle's salvation beacon will broadcast its position so that a rescue party can rapidly locate the crash site. The Thunderhawk a highly valued asset to a Space Marine Chapter and even a catastrophically damaged wreck will be recovered.

?雷鷹炮艇主要的窄頻段遠(yuǎn)距離通訊發(fā)報(bào)機(jī)安裝在機(jī)身頂部，并且充當(dāng)著地面與軌道上部隊(duì)的中繼站，同時(shí)傳感器陣列和電子對(duì)抗設(shè)施也允許雷鷹炮艇探測(cè)和破壞敵人的信號(hào)、傳感器和追蹤設(shè)備。雷鷹炮艇也有自身的導(dǎo)航設(shè)備，能在星際戰(zhàn)士的指揮單位之間中轉(zhuǎn)信息。如果一臺(tái)雷鷹炮艇被擊落，其求救信標(biāo)就會(huì)廣播位置信息，這樣救援隊(duì)就能快速定位墜機(jī)地點(diǎn)。對(duì)星際戰(zhàn)士戰(zhàn)團(tuán)而言，雷鷹炮艇是極為重要的資產(chǎn)，即使是嚴(yán)重受損的殘骸也會(huì)被回收。

An unusual feature of the Thunderhawk is the addition of two 'attack' wings mounted above the main wings and engines.These are used to give additional directional stability for accurate gun attacks with the dorsal weapon or the lascannon. Their movement is synchronised and during normal flight they are locked into position against the upper main wing. The braces are released when the Thunderhawk is approaching target and make the aircraft a far more stable gun platform for accurate engagement of ground targets.

雷鷹炮艇有一個(gè)不常見(jiàn)的特征：在主機(jī)翼和引擎上方被額外安裝了兩個(gè)“攻擊”翼。它們被用于提供額外的方向穩(wěn)定性，以便炮艇用背部武器或激光炮進(jìn)行精確的炮火射擊。它們的運(yùn)動(dòng)是同步的，在正常飛行中，它們會(huì)被鎖定到正對(duì)主翼上方的位置上。而當(dāng)雷鷹接近目標(biāo)時(shí)，支架就會(huì)被松開(kāi)，使炮艇成為一個(gè)遠(yuǎn)為穩(wěn)定的火炮平臺(tái)，用于精確打擊地面目標(biāo)。