
This is a rough 3D sketch of a small interstellar spaceship, inspired both by the TSR.2 and ReactionEngines' Skylon. Like in the skylon concept, the engines (hover, reaction thruster and FTL) are located at the extreme end of the wing.
In universe backstory:
This ship was designed in response to a demand from the military for a multi-purpose interstellar vessel. The requirements were a high performance, decent range and capability of performing transport, strike and reconnaissance missions, hence the name. High performance in atmospheric flight was made an explicit if minor requirement which in the end required major design compromises.
Ultimately, due to its size (100 m long, fuselage 9 m wide) and relative fragility (long wings, too small for worthwhile armour), striking any reasonably defended target largely consisted of launching standoff weapons.
In reconnaissance it faced similar problems. Even with absorbent coating, the large flat high speed wings served as excellent reflectors to any active sensor, relegating it to the role of a drone mother ship loitering at the fringes of the target solar system.
However, it truly excels in its third task: Transportation. Economy and performance make it a fairly popular choice for small volume but fast point-to-point transports: The numbers used as dispatch boat, VIP courier or medevac transports are steadily increasing. Additionally the sleek style makes it a popular private yacht for the rich and famous.
Possibly even more noteworthy than this success is the minor issue that few operators actually know where or by whom they are built.
In universe backstory:
This ship was designed in response to a demand from the military for a multi-purpose interstellar vessel. The requirements were a high performance, decent range and capability of performing transport, strike and reconnaissance missions, hence the name. High performance in atmospheric flight was made an explicit if minor requirement which in the end required major design compromises.
Ultimately, due to its size (100 m long, fuselage 9 m wide) and relative fragility (long wings, too small for worthwhile armour), striking any reasonably defended target largely consisted of launching standoff weapons.
In reconnaissance it faced similar problems. Even with absorbent coating, the large flat high speed wings served as excellent reflectors to any active sensor, relegating it to the role of a drone mother ship loitering at the fringes of the target solar system.
However, it truly excels in its third task: Transportation. Economy and performance make it a fairly popular choice for small volume but fast point-to-point transports: The numbers used as dispatch boat, VIP courier or medevac transports are steadily increasing. Additionally the sleek style makes it a popular private yacht for the rich and famous.
Possibly even more noteworthy than this success is the minor issue that few operators actually know where or by whom they are built.
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1047 x 406px
File Size 52.5 kB
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