Well according to the fallout wiki's Chicago page, and Enclave force landed there after the destruction of the oil rig. So that sets up the only BOS chapter to be known to have airships having a chance of getting vertibirds.

In reality there is no way of knowing for sure until we find out the date the game actually takes place in. In my prediction if it takes place within 5 years of fallout 3 there is almost no way it could be the CWBos unless by some magic they have managed to rebuild completely, secure the CW, and build an airship. Meanwhile the MWBos has had nearly a century of rebuilding so they could conceivable make the trip.

Both groups had access to Airships and Enclave tech, both had reasons to name there ship Prydwen. Also to the person who brought up taking one faction and transporting them across the country to make the game is that not how F3 got its major factions, they magically decided to move to Washington D.C. and we have what we have, there was tonnes of complaining at the time about transporting the BOS and Enclave to the East coast. Hints have been made for both factions in the writing of F3.

Personally I hope for the MWBos, the most organized and best path for the BOS to rebuild the wasteland (by any means necessary).

Or, yknow , there are plenty of AFBs around Massachusetts. And it seemed like underground bases were a big thing, it wouldn't be completely illogical to think the airship and vertibirds have been locked up this whole time.

Or maybe they were on the surface and someone was using them as a home (because they don't know how to fly helicopters or zeplins) till a bunch of guys in power armor evicted them and repaired the fleet to working order.

Maybe only the ship was found by Lyon's at one such base and supplemented with the birds Lyon's got from the enclave.

I don't know why there hasn't been a theory that the airship originated in Mass

I agree with Arsenic.

Why cant it have been built or found in Boston, that is a new way to look at it.

Fixed

No one said 200 years exactly. I don't mind if it's just your personal theory, but don't trick yourself into thinking "October 2277" is the confirmed starting point and definitely don't use it to base other theories on.

I tend to agree. A faction as dogmatic as the Brotherhood is bound to have more than its fair share of dissidents - as we've seen in pretty much every game - so it's reasonable to have another splinter group in Boston. I think though that Lyons' faction, and Arthur specifically, makes the most sense. A loyalist branch of the Brotherhood (following their true ideals instead of bleeding heart Lyons) would probably view a vertibird taxi for civilians as a huge waste of resources, though obviously we have no idea about the circumstances involved. I guess the Brotherhood might also have great interest in a legitimate pre-war veteran and go to great lengths to protect you even if you don't support them. Hmm, now this has me thinking...

The only BoS known to have airships was the West Coast BoS, as they were the ones who built the airships in the first place.

The MWBoS was founded only after the airships crashed, and at no point was the MwBoS ever shown using airships themselves.

I'm leaning more towards Prydwen being something the CWBoS made, but possibly MWBoS, or maybe something that the CWBoS took from the MWBoS, somewhere, somehow, someway. I just hope it isn't some offshoot of an offshoot, because honestly, with all the division the BoS has had, it's becoming the most dysfunctional faction in the Fallout Universe.

@awesomepossum

Sorry my quoting wont work but you are picking at semantics. Your right that only the Wbos has built and used and the people that built and used them became the MWBos. But that does not change what I said as the people who became the MWbos after the crash were the only group known to have flown on them.

I kinda think the 200 years thing that has been said so far isnt the whole truth. That there's going to be a major timeskip in the main quest that shifts everything around, tying into that whole focus on storytelling/choices and consequences thing.

I think its the Capital BoS, however many years after 2277 with a empire across the east coast and their sights set on the technology contained inside the Institute. In the Atom Bomb Baby trailer we saw the Prydwen falling and a part of Boston getting zapped by a orbital laser, I think either of those actions will be Fallout 4's version of Hoover Dam, the major event ending the game, although in this case its not a end to the entire game as confirmed before.

We know so little about the story though, but that's my personal hunch. I am about 99% certain that the Prydwen is from DC though.

Those are very possible as well, it depends ultimately when Fallout 4 takes place in relation to Fallout 3, I've seen some sources suggest that it takes place a few months after the end of Fallout 3 but the validity of that is in question (I assumed it was confirmed, so jokes on me I guess.) Many different things could've happened for the BoS members to find themselves in Boston, if this game takes place a few years after Fallout 3 then the entire Arthur Maxson theory would fit perfectly into place or perhaps they're remnants of Lyon's order but left due to being disillusioned with his Brotherhood or perhaps sent there to find technology by Lyons and Rothschild after hearing about the technological marvels of the institute and couldn't just not investigate, either way they could've discovered the airship at Logan international or a military base and had the technical know-how to get that beauty flying again and decking it out with sweet BoS symbolism.

Vertibirds can come from many different places as well, if I recall correctly the player has a choice to give the BoS the Vertibird plans to the Brotherhood, Shi or Hubologist. Who he gives it to, we are unsure but if it was the Brotherhood then they could have the ability to manufacture them, and it would be likely they'd make copies to preserve this knowledge. But if I had to guess the most likely scenario in which the Boston-BoS got their vertibirds from, it would likely be from hangers of places like Logan International or other air bases owned formerly by the U.S military.

According to Rothschild, the Midwest BoS has appeared to have fallen on some "hard times." or something of the sort and has gone rogue. That isn't very clear and might not be an accurate picture of the current capabilities of the Midwestern BoS, we also know that Caesar was able to capture some scribes, meaning at some point they were vulnerable to Legion attacks meaning they may not be as powerful or as organized as we may assume. Maybe if they were desperate enough they would send our a contingent to Boston for the same reasons why Rothschild and Lyons would do the same.

Ahh! But we have no idea how far they have fallen and when Rothchild got that info. We do know that the WBos has had no contact with the MWBOS, so that leaves the trip to the east coast so +-20 years from then.

That's actually an oft-quoted mistake. He doesn't say hard times (in fact he never mentions those two words at all), what he actually says is:

Which is much more telling, because he actually says "small detachment". Which implies the WMBOS isn't a continent spanning empire. Just a small detachment in the Chicago area.

This to me is one of the biggest arguments against the MWBOS being the source of the Prydwen, and it seems to be being overlooked by many. How could the MWBOS, which has been stated to be a small detachement, fund and execute what seems to be a massive military expedition. Complete with supporting aircraft fleet, mobile command center, and numerous deployed ground forces?

What we've seen promises this to be the largest single Brotherhood military operation in....well....forever. Certainly not since the Western Brotherhood sent the MWBOS east in their airship fleet, and that was close to the top of the Western Brotherhood's power.

Whoever this Brotherhood is has a huge amount of resources at their disposal. And what's the one chapter we know that just fell into a windfall of power? The one with huge amounts of Enclave technology, rich opportunity for mass recruitment amongst a grateful local population, and is the only Brotherhood detachment that appears to be gaining rather than losing power?

Lyons.

I still bet money on the ship and vertibirds being from Hanscom AFB, which is smack in the middle between Lexington and Concord (which would fit perfectly in the map since if I remember Concord and Lexington are the two locations of the gameplay demos)

Who knows maybe it's the seat of the brotherhood in the region!

Flying on airships means nothing, anyone can fly on an airship.

Knowing how to build them is whats important, and, so far, only the WCBoS has shown to have the knowledge to build them.

One of the many supposed "leaks" stated the BoS base would be Boston-Logan International airport.

And given the direction the BoS airship is flying in the trailer, it appears to have come from that directions

As I said, we don't know if that's even an accurate interpretation of their strength, but considering they were formed before Lyons was born and they were no-where to be found years later when Lyon and his entourage crossed the mid west and attempted to make contact but discovered they were only a small detachment at best. Furthermore, as I said, we heard from Caesar that he was able to capture some scribes in the East, which doesn't provide much details again but points out that if it is scribes from the MWBoS then they're is on the receiving end of the Legion's fury and not actively challenging Caesar if he's confident enough to head west to Vegas...

I see, I dunno where I remember seeing the "hard times" quote then, perhaps somebody was just paraphrasing the current condition of the MWBoS compared to their strength after taking down the Calculator *or whatever ending is legit* but you do raise some good points, they are not powerful enough to be able to project such power across a wide span of area to have a powerful force... I wouldn't doubt the idea that it's the Capitol BoS, but again that would only work if Fallout 4 takes place a few years after Fallout 3 because they would need to consolidate their power and expand such power and resources to project force in the institute and would be a perfect testing ground for the newly knighted Arthur Maxson.

If you look at the concept art from E3, you see a man wearing a cape. The cape has a clasps which has the three cogwheel BOS symbol. It is without the sword so one might think this is represents a Scribe. According to the Citadel computer terminal, Arthur Maxson is a Scribe. The colors of the cape are the same colors of the BOS flag that flies over the Citadel.

How's this for a wrench in the assembly. Multiple air-ships.

First, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW7Of3g2JME, that there's possibly two air ships.
@ 1:38 - it looks like a traditional ship frame, but why the "launch us into $%&*ing orbit immediately!" engines?
@ 1:56 - huge blimp thing. Rounded on top and sides. Clearly a different frame.

And then there's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW7Of3g2JME...
@ 2:00 - frame doesn't look like either. More straight lines, less blimpy bulges, definitely no sign of traditional wooden ship.

Those both link to the same trailer.

Well punch me straight in gooey undulating recess of an empty eye socket. So it does!

Fixed!

The ship at 1:38 is a traditional ship - it's the USS Constitution. As for the giant rocket engines... yeah, there's no explanation for that.

Some post apocalyptic red-neck wake boarding with 50 of one's closest and most technologically adept friends?

They MWBos would most likely know how to construct an airship as would the East Coast Brotherhood. The question is why would they? Heavy lift capability or plans for long distance travel (i.e., trans continental or trans oceanic travel) are the two most likely reasons for constructing airships like this.

Prydwen is the name of King Arthur's ship. Perhaps it's the return of the British?

Good point. I speculate that the BoS in Fallout 4 is not the Capital Wasteland chapter, nor is it the Midwest chapter, nor even the West Coast chapter - instead, it's the London chapter come to teach the bloody colonists a lesson for nearly destroying the world.

Not necessarily. Remember, the MWBoS were basically sent on a suicide mission for having different views then the core BoS. Its unlikely the WCBoS would send someone who knew how to build airships with the MWBoS, as the WCBoS didn't WANT them to come back.

As for why, because basically no one has anti-air defenses in the post-war world. An airship is neigh untouchable to most post-war people, and gives the user numerous great tactical advantages, such as birds eye view on battles blow, the ability to transport and deploy large numbers of soldiers, heavy weaponry, and veritbirds with ease, and it can be useful to simply rain hellfire down on your enemies without even having to try, assuming the Prydwen has guns of its own.

Its such a big advantage Obsidian basically HAD to create a plothole in NV by not having the NCR use their small fleet of vertibirds against the Legion's Fort, which would have allowed them to cripple The Legion by killing off all their high ranking officials in one fell swoop, as it would have made the entire war scenario way too one-sides in The NCR's favor.

So? The MWBoS were the people flying and operating the airships prior to FoT, odds are they also had a hand in their construction or fixing.