Directorate Officer
Intent: Develop a high-speed shuttle for the open market
Image Credit: I modified a model of Supreme Commander's UEF T1 Scout
Development Thread: If needed
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: LLS-5 Concorde-class Shuttle
Affiliation: Galactic Republic, Open Market
Modularity: No
Production: Mass
Material: Durasteel frame, Ferroceramic Plating, Glasteel canopy, typical starship components
Classification: Light Transport
Role: Light Transport, Shuttle
Height: 8 Meters (including tail stabilizer)
Width: 12 Meters
Length: 19 Meters
Power Core Generator/Reactor: Solar Ionization
Hyperdrive Rating: Class 1
Minimum Crew: 1
Optimal Crew: 2
Armaments:
- 1 Nose-mounted Repeating Laser Cannon
- 2 Wing-root mounted Concussion Missile Launchers (4 warheads each)
- Standard Communications Array
- Standard Deflector Shield Generators
- Standard Life Support Systems
- Standard Navigational Systems
- Standard Sensor Array
- Standard Targeting Systems
- Can Enter Atmosphere and Land
Maneuverability Rating: 5
Strengths:
-Exceptionally Fast
Weaknesses:
-Less Cargo space than standard shuttle craft (half that of standard dropships)
-Not very maneuverable
Passenger Capacity: 15
Cargo Capacity: 60 Metric Tons
Consumables: 1 month
Who Can Use This: Galactic Republic, Open Market
Description: The LLS5 Concorde-class Shuttle is Lucerne Lab's first foray into the civilian market; an attempt to make an rapid express transport capable of ferrying small amounts of people and supplies to areas very quickly and securely.
To many casual observers, the shuttle appears to be an oversized starfighter; that isn't far from the truth. While Lucerne Labs had experience designing military starships, they had none with more typical civilian craft. Consequently, they enlarged the frame on an interceptor to about a shuttle's size, and went from there. The result is a rather fast shuttle with limited cargo capacity (compared to other shuttles and dropships) with abysmal maneuverability, the result of using a single, powerful fusial thrust ion engine. This single engine occupies over 30% of the ship's narrow fuselage. While some think the trade was past the point of diminishing returns, the Concorde is among the fastest transports at sublight speed available on the civilian market, and a key selling point for the starship.
This speed makes the ship ideal for rapidly transporting small groups of people and cargo between larger starships, space stations, and planetary bodies in a single system. Lucerne Labs envisioned the ship carrying such passengers are VIPs, emergency medical personnel, and law enforcement agents, but the ship's high speed has also made it attractive to some less reputable elements, such as blockade runners, slavers, and smugglers. The narrowness of the ship's main hold and its cargo compartments, almost afterthoughts built around the engine, precludes the Concorde from carrying most bulky cargo, including all but the smallest ground vehicles, as well as heavy machinery and large containers. Still, the craft manages to carry roughly 75% of the similarly sized Lambda-class shuttle, if the cargo can fit into some of the ship's awkward sized holds.
Because they believed the shuttle would be carrying unusually valuable passengers and equipment, the engineers at Lucerne Labs made the Concorde reasonably well-armed, carrying a single, repeating laser cannon just underneath the cockpit and a pair of concussion missile launchers in the ship's wingroots. Still, the ship's armament retains enough punch to run through some interference with some proper planning.
OOC Note: I'm having a hard time getting an exact fix for the speed and maneuverability ratings for this type of ship (especially with the tradeoff), please let me know what you think is appropiate, and I'll edit it accordingly.
