Perhaps best known for the Tydirium, which was used by the Rebels to infiltrate Endor and bring an end to the second Death Star and the Empire, Lambda shuttles are the primary choice of Imperials.
Graceful when in flight, Lambda shuttles are on the most recognised symbols of the Imperial fleet. Used as a passenger or cargo shuttle, goods or personnel enter the ship via the ramp that lowers from below the forward fuselage. Two wings fold out from the stationary top one, giving the shuttle an inverted Y look when flying. These two wings retract upwards in landing, allowing the two landing legs to come out.
Two manufacturers are contracted to produce the shuttles: Sienar Fleet Systems who originally came up with the designs, and Cygnus Spaceworks who make a military version of the craft.
Normally used with a command crew of four, Lambdas can be flown by just one pilot with a great loss in performance.Two more crew members, to handle power resources and secured communications, can be added if necessary.
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Both models of the shuttle carry up to twenty passengers or up to eighty tons of cargo. The main difference between the two makes are the weapons. Sienar have fitted theirs with three double blaster cannons, one of which is rear-mounted. Cygnus have placed ten such cannons, making their Lambda a formidable opponent. Along with the weaponry the shuttles have a heavily reinforced hull and several shield generators. The main difference between Lambdas and other Imperial shuttles is service is that Lambdas have hyperdrives, allowing cargo and passengers to be ferried between fleets or systems.
Due to the heavy weaponry and shielding, Lambdas can travel without an escort, and so government officials favour them. This does mean that it is difficult for attackers to determine who or what is on board. Although it is rumoured that Palpatine did not encounter such problems since his personal shuttle had a cloaking device.
Other special shuttles were made available to a select few, such as the Grand Inquisitor of the Dark Lord of the Sith. These had secured Holonet transceivers, which allowed the user to contact Imperial City and the Emperor from anywhere in the Empire. These Lambdas were also much more heavily armed, and could easily hold their own in a dogfight.
