- Not to be confused with Imperial Eagle.
Developed by Core Dynamics, the Eagle is a compact combat ship with peerless manoeuvrability. For many independent pilots it represents a natural progression from the Sidewinder, boasting superior cargo capacity and combat ability in addition to a better hardpoint array. These features are offset by a comparatively short jump range, however.
— In-Game Description
The Eagle is a small ship produced by Core Dynamics. As a proven combat fighter with a distinguished history, the Eagle is one of the smallest, cheapest, and fastest ships available with jump capability. This comes at the cost of limited core internal modules, however, restricting its potential jump range and burdening it with heat and power management issues. The ship was introduced with much fanfare in 3199 as the Federal Navy's new, state-of-the-art fighter, but was initially plagued with issues and then overshadowed by the Imperial Navy unveiling their own version, the Imperial Eagle.[1] Although the Federal Navy later replaced the Eagle with their short range fighter program, the ship managed to rebuild its reputation over the years and achieve enormous commercial success. Core Dynamics ceased production of the Eagle by 3300, but continues to provide parts and servicing due to its enduring popularity.[2] The Eagle still sees extensive use across human space, and it is also one of the four vessels permitted in the CQC Championship.
Overview
The Eagle is an extremely agile ship; in fact, it has the highest level of manoeuvrability of any ship, excluding Ship Launched Fighters. Thus, the Eagle is extremely viable for any commander looking to take advantage of mobility and even high-tier ships like the Anaconda would struggle against a well-trained Eagle pilot due to its ability to stay on the rear of ships; where even Turreted hardpoints won't have any visibility of the ship. Be advised of ships deploying fighters however and it is highly advised to prioritize these in combat.
Compared to the Sidewinder, the Eagle is a strict upgrade in virtually every aspect. The sidewinder has slightly better base armour but the Eagle has much better combat ability, not to mention better cargo capacity, jump range, damage, hardpoints etc. The Eagle is a great second ship for players to jump to and some even prefer it over the Hauler for cargo jobs due to its respectable 16T of space.
The Eagle makes a fantastic Bounty Hunter or Pirate. With its manoeuvrability, the Eagle can take on most adversaries and with three Class 1 hardpoints the Eagle is capable of dealing formidable damage and its high manoeuvrability means it is brilliant at both Interdicting and dodging Interdictions making it great for shieldless trading. Defensively, however, the eagle has paper thin armor, dying to sustained fire from even a Sidewinder. Thus, the manoeuverability of the ship is critical in avoiding hits. The best defense is not to get hit at all. Thus a shield is recommended and the low shield power encourages the use of a Shield Booster. The issue with this, however, is that Eagle has only one utility mount, which means going without a Kill Warrant Scanner. You may wish to instead use a Stealth build; the Eagle has good heat management and using Silent Running may make ships unable to ever get a hit on an Eagle; especially if they run Turreted and Gimballed mounts. Be careful as experienced commanders may know how to get around this. The other problem is this strategy requires a Chaff Launcher which again requires going without a Kill Warrant Scanner.
As a Trader or Miner, the Eagle is significantly better than the Sidewinder in both aspects. However, the Hauler may be better for traders if not wanting to touch combat, though you may be better off holding out until the Adder becomes affordable, as it is much better in both aspects while still being viable in combat.
Eagle hardpoint convergence
The weapon hardpoints are located as follows: two Class 1 hardpoints on the underside of main body of ship, and one Class 1 hardpoint on the top of the ship behind the cockpit. The cockpit is one of the smallest in the Eagle's size class. Whether pilots find the confined space either enjoyable or rather claustrophobic, it does have the drawback of reducing overall range of vision.
Purchase Locations
| System | Station | Date | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinrarta Dezhra | Jameson Memorial | Always available | 10% discount |
| Brestla | i Sola Prospect | Always available | 20% surcharge |
| Akkadia | Calvin Lawrence | Jun. 2, 2020 | 15% discount |
| G 35-15 | Leslie Gateway | Jun. 2, 2020 | 15% discount |
| Metzili | Pippin Gatewat | Jun. 2, 2020 | 15% discount |
| Betel | Amphipolis | Jun. 2, 2020 | 15% discount |
| Barnard's Star | Boston Base | Jun. 2, 2020 | |
| Duamta | Davis Terminal | Jun. 2, 2020 | |
| Agartha | Enoch Port | Jun. 2, 2020 | |
| Asphodel | John Irving Station | Jun. 2, 2020 | |
| He Bo | Krylov Ring | Jun. 2, 2020 | |
| Holiacan | Fortress Yarrow | Jun. 2, 2020 |
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 Eagle.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 1 |
| Pulse Laser (L) | F | 1 | 1 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Utility Mount | Empty | -- | -- | 0 |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | E | 2 | 2 |
| Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | E | 3 | 3 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | E | 3 | 3 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | E | 1 | 1 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | E | 2 | 2 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | E | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x4] | C | 2 | 2 |
| Internal Compartments | Shield Generator | E | 3 | 3 |
| Cargo Rack [x2] | E | 1 | 2 | |
| Empty (M) | -- | -- | 2 | |
| Empty | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Advanced Docking Computer | E | 1 | 1 | |
| Supercruise Assist | E | 1 | 1 | |
| (PAS) | I | 1 | 1 |
- (L) = Loaned Module
- [x#] = Capacity
- (PAS) = Reserved solely for the Planetary Approach Suite or Advanced Planetary Approach Suite
- (M) = Military Compartment reserved for Hull Reinforcement Package, Module Reinforcement Package, or Shield Cell Bank
Notes
- In September 2014, Frontier Developments announced that the Eagle would become a second starting ship for all players who had pre-ordered Elite Dangerous, including existing Beta and Kickstarter supporters. This starting Eagle (known as the "Freagle") is located in a Station outside of the player's starting system and can be flown once the commander travels to the station where it is stored. It can be found by opening the Galaxy Map and looking for a system with a blue ship icon next to it; the ship will be located in a station within the designated system.
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