Shuttle
Shuttle
Shuttle
by
by
by
by SelekSelekSelek Selek
Agi d10 Str d2 Vit d6 Ale d2 Int d2 Wil d2; Init d10+d6; LP 4
Traits: Short Range (minor), Nimble (minor) Skills: Pilot d2, Perception d2
Specifications
Dimensions: 48 X 24 X 12 feet
Tonnage 40 tons
Speed Class 1 cruise/ 3 hard-burn (reaction thrusters only)
Crew Pilot (and co-pilot)
Crew Quarters seats
Fuel Capacity 1 ton (850 hours) 25 man-days endurance
Cargo Capacity 27 tons or up to 17 passengers on fold-out benches. Passenger Capacity See above
Passenger Quarters None
Armament None
Gear None
Complexity Very Low
Price 160 credits new
Maintenance Costs 32 credits per year
Armour: none
Subcraft: none
The Sparrow Class shuttle was intended to be Kieran Yards first foray into large-scale production, and almost a thousand were ordered at the company yards on Beylix. Unfortunately, construction delays and cost overruns made the operation extremely unprofitable, and forced Kieran to license the design for manufacture by others. Of the twenty two thousand Sparrows officially manufactured, only about four hundred and seventy were produced by Kieran Yards.
Designed for use aboard bulk and mid-bulk transports, the Sparrow is a robust and dependable vessel, with good cargo capacity and range. A major drawback to the design is that it comes in larger than a standard short shuttle (48 versus 25 feet in length), yet has only a modest increase in cargo capacity. Still, owners and operators of the Sparrow tend to be quite loyal, remarking favourably on the vessel’s reliability and
manoeuvrability.
Sparrow class shuttles lack the pulse drives and regenerative life support systems necessary for prolonged or deep-space voyages, but are more than able to travel from their base ship or homeport to nearby planets, vessels or moons and returning.
Quirks/Special Characteristics: The Sparrow Class are fitted with a variable-geometry wing system and a “fighter-style” cockpit (a Kieran trademark). As a result, they are characterized as “sporty” and “a joy to fly “. The Sparrow Class was used by the Independents as an “intermediate” trainer from 2505 to 2511 and the boats have found a home at a number of flight schools for the same reason. The “Red Sparrows”, a Rim-World aerobatics demonstration team uses distinctively painted Sparrow Class shuttles in their performances. If you plan to use her in one of your games, I'd use the standard statistics for light shuttles found in the Serenity Rulebook.
46
Speedstar Shuttle: "The Drunken Pony"
Speedstar Shuttle: "The Drunken Pony"
Speedstar Shuttle: "The Drunken Pony"
Speedstar Shuttle: "The Drunken Pony"
by Renfield007
by Renfield007
by Renfield007
by Renfield007
Name: The Drunken Pony Name: Speed Star Courier Designation: LSI-SC mk.ii Classification: Shuttle/Courier Manufacturer: Lanier Star Industries Year Built: 2489
Agi d10 Str d2 Vit d6 Ale d4 Int d4 Wil d4; Init d10+d4; LP 6
Traits: Fuel Efficient (minor), Fast Throttle (minor), Nimble (minor), Seen Better Days (major), Short Range (minor), Skills: Athletics d4, Perception d4
Specifications
Dimensions: 24x14x10 (With Main Wings folded)
Tonnage 22tons
Speed Class 6 (9)
Crew 1 minimum, 2 optimum
Crew Quarters none
Fuel Capacity 2tn tank, .40tn capacity
Cargo Capacity 10tn
Passenger Capacity None Passenger Quarters None
Armament None
Gear none
Complexity Very Low
Price 2,000 (new), 100cr as is
Maintenance Costs 112/year, 10/day
Armour: none
Subcraft: none
[Ed notes: Str reduced to d2, LP reduced to 6 instead of 10]
Background: The Speedstar-series Shuttle by the long-defunct Lanier Star Industries is one of their lesser-known successes. Few people pay attention to short-distance shuttle craft, at least they rarely made headlines unless they were crash-prone, and the Speedstar was no exception to the rule. It was released with little to no fanfare but at its price-point proved to be one of the best in its class. Surprisingly fuel-efficient for its speed it quickly became the favourite shuttle of small companies for runs between Core Worlds, especially courier companies. Beyond its inherent efficiency there was little to recommend it in the way of durability or comfort. Indeed over time it became obvious the Speedstar was never intended for long- term use as they became harder and harder to maintain. Once LSI finally shut its doors and replacements parts became more and more scarce Speedstars rapidly became less and less of a prominent presence in the Black.
The Drunken Pony: Owned and Operated by a two-man crew, the Drunken Pony has become something of a Novelty in the Stock Shuttle racing circuit. Pilot and Co-Owner Phineas Black along with his
partner and Navigator/Mechanic Eloise Darling managed to dredge up an old Speedstar from the depths of their own privately-operated boneyard and scrounge enough parts to get it up and running again. The Pony has won its fair share of purses and generally ends up in the top five, but it is also known for its sudden power losses at top-speed velocity. One resultant near-miss of a viewing shuttle almost got them banned form the circuit until an investigation determined the cause was sabotage though no one could ever be found to take the blame; many accuse the owners of faking the sabotage so they would not get banned but have since taken pains to make sure the Pont is triple-checked before launch by themselves and a race official. Since then they have suffered no disastrous power-losses.
When asked if they would someday use their winnings to buy a newer shuttlecraft they said they would only scrap the Pony when they felt they could no longer maintain her and probably quit racing at that time as well. Given that both Phineas and Eloise aren’t exactly in their prime this isn’t exactly a surprise. Despite their age they always have the most fun during any race and no-one can fault them for their positive spirit even in the face of the worst of defeats; they will be missed when they do finally retire. Hopefully they will be able to retire and not go out in a ball of molten steel when the Pony finally collapses mid-race, then again its they way they would want to go