Editing Talk:Longwing

== Cross Breeding Info ==

There needs to be some sort of clean up of the information on the cross breeding that resulted in the Longwing. The enteries for [[Sharpspitter]], [[Ironwing]] and [[Honneur-d'Or]] don't seem to fit together with the [[Longwing]] entry. In fact I've just realised there isn't an entry for Ironwing, though the breed is referenced in a couple of places. --[[User:Andrew|Andrew]] 04:19, 8 February 2007 (PST)

== Code Discrepancies ==

At the top, where the dragon breed information should be, is instead a series of coding in what appears to be German or some similar language.  This is also present on the [[Imperial]] and [[Regal Copper]] pages.  I'd fix it myself, but I don't know how.  [[User:Wylde|Wyldefyre]] 15:02, 3 May 2010 (PDT)

==Number==
In "Empire of Ivory," when Temeraire crashes into the sandpit that is the Longwing quarantine, Laurence says there are "half-a-dozen" Longwings there. I think that this must be ''all'' the Longwings in England (though perhaps not in Gibraltar or further away coverts), and it is after Conterrenis is said to have died, so that means we know of four (Excidium and Lily for certain, and probably Mortiferus and Gentius since he could still spray in Victory of Eagles) but there are two more unaccounted for. Perhaps other breeding ground dragons? Or simply formation leaders we haven't heard of? All in all, it doesn't seem that the Longwing population is much more than the [[Celestial]]s. -- [[User:Strangerface|Strangerface]] 12:37, 22 August 2010 (PDT)

:Dunno. I got the impression that Gentius had been in the Breeding Grounds for a while, but I'm probably wrong. However, if we consider that Gentius had three children, including Excidium, they could also be included (if they have survived this long). Plus, there are also the unknown dragons who are parents to Lily, but these could be one of the aforementioned dragons. [[User:Almaron|Almaron]] 14:46, 22 August 2010 (PDT)

:There could be an unknown number of Longwing eggs waiting to hatch-- Harcourt mentioned that Lily had not been expected to hatch "for another five years at the earliest", suggesting a truly prodigious incubation period. But on a related note, I'd been wondering why we see so few British female crew members as possible candidates for future Longwing dragonets; in fact, I can't recall any besides Emily Roland. --[[User:Wombat1138|Wombat1138]] 14:53, 22 August 2010 (PDT)

:Gentius does seem to have been at the breeding grounds forever, but Jane only mentioned there being one sand pit? (Though I suppose Lloyd or someone may have had a small sand tub for him, as Lily did on the Allegiance.)  As for the female cadets besides Emily, I don't think there are that many, if indeed there are so few Longwings. Laurence mentions seeing "a few" females in the officers club at Loch Laggan once he learned the secret, and when Lady Allendale is introduced to Jane in Victory of Eagles it says, "Laurence saw her marking out, quickly, the handful of other female officers: another on Jane's crew, a lieutenant on Berkley's, and a few midshipmen and ensigns, scattered about." It makes sense to me that the other future captains would be put on larger dragons like Excidium and Maximus as well as Emily on Temeraire, because there doesn't seem to be a point to them learning how to do courier service or whatnot. It'd be heavy combat all the way. -- [[User:Strangerface|Strangerface]] 16:39, 22 August 2010 (PDT)

::But remember, there's also the Xenica breed which only takes female captains, and it would make sense to have plenty of female officers prepared, in case an unexpected hatching occurs. [[User:Almaron|Almaron]] 17:07, 22 August 2010 (PDT)
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ::But remember, there's also the Xenica breed which only takes female captains, and it would make sense to have plenty of female officers prepared, in case an unexpected hatching occurs. [[User:Almaron|Almaron]] 17:07, 22 August 2010 (PDT)
-::Argh. I'd forgotten about that passage in VoE, since I don't have a hardcopy at the mo. However, I was also thinking that although the Longwings and a few other breeds will only accept female captains, that doesn't nec'ly rule out other breeds deciding to choose a female candidate instead of a male anyway. It probably wouldn't be encouraged (due to wanting to save the female candidates for female-only captaincies), but I don't see how it could be absolutely avoided. --[[User:Wombat1138|Wombat1138]] 14:14, 23 August 2010 (PDT)
-== Weight? ==
-I'm assuming that the Longwing is a Middleweight breed, and that it recieves distinction among the larger dragons because of its ability to spit acid. I have several reasons for this;
-. The Yellow Reaper Breed is said to fall squarely into the Middleweight classing (12-15 Tonnes, but as far as 10-17). Temeraire's weight is given as 18 Tonnes in Empire of Ivory. Lily is known to be smaller than Temeraire, but larger than a Yellow Reaper.
-. Longwings were bred from the Lightweight Sharpspitters, the Ironwing (unknown weight) and the Honneur-d'Or, a Middleweight breed.
-. Based on recent speculative reasoning, the smallest Heavyweight breed is the Parnassian (see their talk page). The Longwing must be smaller than this or of a similar size, because Lily was not called to aid when Victoriatus required help (although this could be because she is the most important member of the formation).
-Thoughts? [[User:Almaron|Almaron]] 18:36, 5 September 2010 (PDT)