The Real Stars of The Galaxy: Our Glorious Space Ships!

[Kancro Vantas]

To this date, it is really pitiful and a shame that we can't name our ships in game. At speeds of 420m/s or above, we can hardly appreciate the color theme, the decals or any other detail in a peer's commander ship. By wide and large, we can hardly customize the look or inner decorations in our ships - I know, we all want that flurry mat to cover the console- specially after the bobble heads were removed.

But this trend of ignoring and making our ships irrelevant, cold pieces of metal, stops right here! right now! with this thread!!! Behold THE MAJOR REGISTRY OF LEGENDARY SHIPS IN EXPLORATION!!! ***fanfare***

This is how we are going to build this:

-Make a post featuring your ship(s) and tell us all that you can come up with about it: tell us its history, its name, why is it named like that? achievements? travels, goals..anything!

-Make it sound great, pompous and proud! As it should be! After all, is the ship that has given you great times and wonderful travels!!!

-Include pictures! We want to see it!! Videos are also of course welcomed!

-When new data is available, just come back and edit it in your post! That post will be the showcase for your ship!!

This idea was inspired by another thread where the name for ships was asked. And I thought, "why only the name? what about its history and why I love it so much?"...so it began ticking in my head....now I will share it with you and you can take this as an inspiration to start your own ship Glorious Profile!!

Enjoy!!




LEGENDARY SHIPS DIRECTORY


- EES "ORINOCO" - Asp - CMDR Kancro Vantas

- ISS "DAMOCLES" - Asp - CMDR Voorheez

- AA "BLUE SHIFT" - Asp - CMDR Cheese Wedge

- "HORIZON" - DBE - CMDR Raz

- CEV "NOSTROMO" - Asp - CMDR Newman1702

- IEV "UNEVENTFUL HORIZON" - Asp - CMDR Alex Traut

- "HIPPOGRYFF" - Fed Drop - CMDR Von Rhein

- AEV "STARGAZER" - Anaconda - CMDR Kola2

- IMNS "CERBERUS" - Asp - CMDR Tipcee

- IEV "LIBRA II" - Asp - CMDR Matt Mason

- THE "GJALLARHORN" - Anaconda - CMDR Anuranium

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INTRODUCING THE EES "ORINOCO"
- - - Updated - - -

Overview

The Asp Class - Eleu Exploration Ship "Orinoco" is the well known multirole vessel of the Social Eleu Progressive Party under the command of Explorer CMDR Kancro Vantas. The vessel has been a popular rare trader, an exceptional explorer, an occasional miner and a skillful and competent fighter that fought on the Crimson State Group side in the Lugh Wars and also in the Rebellion of Santjalan Civil War, without changing or removing any of its modules, which has created its reputation as the "most versatile ship in the Galaxy!⁽¹⁾". It is currently completing an expedition journey to some interesting spots in the Galaxy.



Call Sign and Name

Since its conception, the ship was meant to be aimed and equipped with as many equipment as possible to be able to flip hats on a heartbeat. The SEPP, in a constant budgetary and struggling economy, was looking to maximize its investment by designing it so. Much debate was involved on the call sign, until finally, it was agreed by the SEPP caucus that due to the nature of exploration that demands lengthy periods of exclusive activity, the most sensitive and less controversial role across the civilized system was that of exploration ship. This would deter pirates, avoid trade taxes, and raise little interest among bounty hunters or combat ships in war zones.

The ship designer, Cronus Ampora, talks about the name: "The Orinoco is a river back in a Tropical Forest back in Earth. Exotic, mighty, and magical, it speaks about the might of water, and the diversity of life that it brings around it. It was also used as a main trade route, and many explorers went there looking for the mythical El Dorado City. Trade, exploration, nature, and wonder being the goal of this mighty vessel, coming from an exotic, backwater proud system, the Orinoco is a very fitting name for this amazing machine".

The SEPP caucus fully approved Eleu Exploration Ship "Orinoco" as the official name for the ship, on July 5th, 3300, during project planning stages.


Features

The EES "Orinoco" is equipped with a wide variety of modules and feats:

-Paintjob: The Gold Pharaoh Theme with Competent Decal on left side, and Ranger Decal on right side.

-Weapons: 1 fixed burst laser and 2 gimballed pulse lasers make the battery of energy weapons, effective to bring down even the toughest of shields. For hull damage, two medium multi-cannons at both sides of the cockpit are deployed, bringing enemy ships down in a matter of few seconds. The vessel is also equipped with a mining laser, for ores extraction.

-Defense: A 5A shield with a strength of over 211 MJ is the first line of defense that protects the "Orinoco" from enemy fire and accidental bumps. A "Heat Sink Launcher" is released to bring the temperature of the ship down in overheating situations, keeping it running cold.

-Security Enforcement: the collecting of information is particularly exceptional. 1 Warrant Kill Scanner and 1 Cargo Scanner work in unison to report any crime or illegal cargo from a suspicious ship up to 3km of distance, when the "Orinoco" is patrolling the space of Eleu and Santjalan. The Wake Scanner and the Frameshift Drive Interdictor, work together to track and stop any criminal ship trying to get away from the long reach of justice.

-Research: 1 Estate of the Arts, Advanced Discovery Scanner and 1 Top of the Line Detailed Surface Scanner are among the most potent equipment the ship has for its deep space, long range expeditions. With nearly 90,000 light years traveled and 5,000 systems visited, the "Orinoco" biggest contributions has been to Universal Cartographics and to science, as an exceptional Exploration ship, its main role.

-Operations: Mainly for research but also for trading, the 6 bins refinery helps the Orinoco to process ores. It's 64,000 kgs cargo bay allows to trade precious but highly valuable cargo, such as the Eleu Thermals from Finney Dock, to be sold across vast distances of space. During deep range explorations though, the Orinoco does go under a single and minimal modification: its class 3 size A Interdictor Drive is replaced by a 3A Auto-Field Maintenance Unit. A 5D Sensors Suite with a range of 5kms and a 4D Life Support with 7:30mins of Oxygen Reserve, complete the battery of operational modules.

-Displacement: A pair of 5A thrusters make the bulky and heavy vessel remarkably agile for an Asp Class ship of its mass, reaching a wooping 380 m/s as top speed when boosting. The 5A Frame Shift Drive was custom made and developed in 32 Mu Serpentis, and it is one of the best features of engineering in the ship, allows it to jump thru hyperspace up to 29.88 light years. The figure by itself might not be impressive, however considering the huge mass of all the modules the "Orinoco" carries, it is definitely a signature of high technology.

A 3A fuel scoop and a 32 tons fuel tank keep the machine running and well fed.

-Power Management: Tarach Tor' Council in Tranquility was requested to create the mighty heart of the ship: a Class 5 A Power Plant coupled with a 4 A Power distributor are the responsible to energize all of the systems!


History

The EES "Orinoco" was commissioned by the Social Eleu Progressive Party, democratic agricultural government in Eleu, to the neighboring high tech system of Santjalan, ruled then by the Santjalan Labor Corporation. It was a joint venture investment that initial estimations placed at 25,000,000 cr. Eleu would provide produce and high quality food at a large discount to the high tech corporation in exchange of having an advanced vessel that could help with security enforcement and exploration ambitions of the mostly poor system of Eleu. The construction was going to be Santjalan technology under supervision of Eleu's Engineers in Cantor Terminal Station, in Santjalan.

However, a strike and some corruption scandals in the middle management of the Labor Corporation brought the project to an halt of few months that then added some 20,000,000cr to the budget, a ticket that the SEPP declined to accept.

Negotiations continued for some few weeks. The SEPP used this period to outsource two of the ship's most expensive and needed parts: the FSD and the Power Plant. After agreements involving Eleu's rares and narcotics laws, with 32 Mu Serpentis and the Tarach Tor Council, both parts were respectively developed and the Santjalan Labor Corporation, to much of its disdain, was given a green light to continue with construction and development of the rest of the ship.

The SEPP initiated a search for a capable pilot for the multirole ship. After a month of extensive interviewing and tests, and among 763 candidates, on January 5th, 3301 the SEPP announced CMDR Kancro Vantas as the captain of its flagship. On a crowded ceremony, the EES "Orinoco" was launched from Cantor Terminal, Pad 14, on January 25th, 3301 for its maiden flight. It went to Finney Dock in Eleu were it was received by a large crowd of cheering fans.

It total cost capped at: $39,533,379cr.

------
⁽¹⁾ Source cited needed.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

THE ISS 'DAMOCLES'


OFFICIAL DESCRIPTOR:

The Asp Explorer is the civilian version of the military model Asp Mk II's (which first saw service in 2878). Lakon Spaceways now owns the licence to construct these ships and has marketed them heavily at customers looking for their first multi-crewed ships. The ship class has earned a solid reputation for long range missions and those requiring some discretion.

OVERVIEW:

This vessel is under the Command of CMDR RICHARD EDGAR VOOHRHEEZ and is registered as an Independant Star Ship (ISS). It is fitted exclusively for deep space research and exploration. CMDR VOORHEEZ is currently on the Distant Worlds expedition in his Anaconda ISS TERRA NOVA.

CALL SIGN AND NAME:

The ship designer Thaddeus Gunthak, wanted a name for a vessel which would embody the inherent glory and danger that a star ship's Commander faces, to that end upon commissioning her he suggested the name 'Damocles'.
In Greek legend Damocles was a member of the court of Dionysius the Elder, the king of Syracuse. Damocles expressed envy of the king's station so Dionysius offered to switch roles with him for a day. To illustrate to Damocles the peril of a man in his position he suspended a sword over the throne.
'Damocles seems appropriate a name for a ship in such a dangerous profession' Thaddeus mused as CMDR VOORHEEZ sipped from a large tumbler of his extremely rare vintage '97 Jack Daniels (which he kept for special customers with a discerning wallet) and signed the contract for his new ship.
ISS 'Damocles' registration 19408-UITJS-13 became CMDR VOORHEEZ's possession on the 10th August 3301, and was re-commissioned after a very long range research mission to the Galactic core on the 20th October 3301, to continue future exploratory work as a dedicated long range research vessel..


FEATURES AND MODULES:

The ISS 'Damocles' is equipped with a wide variety of modules:

http://coriolis.io/outfit/asp/02A4D...i432i2f.AwRj4jTZeo==.Aw18WQ==?bn=ISS DAMOCLES

Paintwork and Pilots Federation rank:
The black appollo theme is used. The 'Damocles' sports Elite Pilots Federation exploration rank insignia on the forward, bulkheads with 'Distant Worlds' decals on the port and starboard bulkheads.

Weapons: No weapons are currently fitted.

Protection: A 5A shield generator is the first line of defence that protects the 'Damocles' from enemy fire and 'accidents'.

Operational capacity: Entirely fitted for deep space research and exploration the 'Damocles' has singular operational capacity at the current time. She has a state of the art 5A Frame shift drive, She also has Advanced Discovery Scanner and Detailed Surface Scanner suites giving her the best available equipment for deep space scanning and stellar surveying. A 6A fuel scoop is fitted giving her an exceptional fuel scooping rate. The 'Damocles' is fitted with twin Automatic field maintenance units enabling increased durability and robustness on very long range expeditions. All of these modules give the 'Damocles' the ability to perform optimally in her current operational capacity.

Tertiary systems: The 'Damocles' is fitted with 5D thrusters and is combined with an armoured 5A power plant giving the 'Damocles' fast, powerful boost effective engines. This gives her the manoeuvrability and speed to escape any unwanted interdictions as well as the manoeuvrability to perform optimally. The 'Damocles' utilises a 4A power distributor which is sufficient for use when discretionary power management is needed, The 'Damocles' is fitted with a planetary approach suite and a 2G planetary vehicle hangar which sports 1'SRV.

Ship AI: The 'Damocles' is fitted with standard ship AI with the additional inclusion of a 'hard light' holographic companion interface (HOCI) unit.
HOCI units were introduced by Lakon Spaceways to mitigate incidents of 'cockpit fever', a condition of neurosis which some commanders can experience during long trips alone in deep space.This added ship AI feature gives the Commander a virtual companion with which he/she can communicate and interact with and who acts as a 'physical' second pilot for periods when Commanders need to take a rest or be away from the bridge.
Many Commanders personalise thier HOCI units gender, voice, appearance and temprement. 'Hard light' holograms cannot be physically intracted with, but their unique spectral signature makes them appear physical and solid, a feature deliberately implemented to assit in the 'virtual companion' aspect of HOCI.
Commander Voorheez has a HOCI who goes by the name of 'Lilly'. A female HOCI with the appearance, personality and temprement of his late wife, Sarah Voorheez.

HISTORY:

The ISS 'Damocles' was commissioned and fitted as an explorer vessel on the 10th August 3301 at Franklin Vision station in the LTT 14850 system (Independent Edwards Mahon system). She left her berth in Franklin Vision station on the 14th August 3301 on a long range research expedition to the galactic core with specific intentions of researching the supermassive black holes Sagittarius A* and the Great Annihilator, as well as research the fabled core neutron fields. This mission was a success, gaining Commander Voorheez the Pilots Federation exploration rank of Pioneer. The 'Damocles' was re-commissioned on 20 Oct 3301 in Scully-Power Station, IX and was re-fitted as an exploration ship after CMDR Voorheez's returned from the 3302 'Distant Worlds' expedition to Beagles point, the furthest star system distant from SOL (65000LY).

 

[Cmdr Cheese Wedge]

The AA (Aislings Angels) 'BLUE SHIFT'
Purchased as a battered and bruised empty shelled clunker at Dalton Gateway Shipyard in LHS 3447.
Fitted out as required over a 6 month period.

Commander: Cheese Wedge
Ship Type: Asp Explorer
Manufacturer: Lakon Spaceways
Rank: Ranger
Systems Scanned: 3848
Max Jump Range: 30.99 LY

Current equipment:
Thrusters D5
Life Support A4
Power Dist A4
FSD A5
Fuel Scoop C6
Power Plant C5
DSS C1
ADS C1

Current Location:
CL PISMIS 3 O8V, 3x Black Holes, Y2 V, T3 V

Locations of discovery and note:
Pleiades Cluster
Witch Head Nebula
Spirograph Planetary Nebula
Orion/Flame/Running Man/Horse head Nebula, Barnard's Loop
Messier 78
California Nebula
Cave Nebula
NGC 7822 Nebula
Little Dumbbell Planetary Nebula
Jewel Box of the North Open Cluster
Fine Ring Planetary Nebula
Hind Nebula
Eskimo Nebula
Hyades Cluster
CoalSack/Musca/Lupus/Ophiuchus Dark Regions
Dumbbell Planetary Nebula
IC 4604 Nebula
Traikaae aa Nebula
Omega Nebula/Cluster
NGC 6357 Nebula (Gateway to the Core)
Plus many more interesting and stunning systems discovered along the way.
Slowly working my way to sagittarius A* and onwards to the far side of our magnificent Galaxy, just to see what's out there.

Fly safe Commanders.

 

[Cmdr Raz]

Another great idea, Kancro! Here is my alternate, and slightly role-play-y, take on a ship description

Golden Gate Shipspotters: Horizon Mystery

Dear Reader,
As you know, we here at the Golden Gate Shipspotters Newsletter do not normally engage in petty conspiracy theories, but we could not pass up reporting on this mundane inquiry turned galactic mystery to you.

It all started when this reporter was following up on the commisioning of a new Diamondback Explorer class vessel here on Golden Gate. When I turned up at the shipyard to get a few photos and some information on the loadout of the ship, I was turned away by 2 rather large "gentlemen", one of whom were sporting a tattoo normally associated with the Sobek Boys, the infamous crime group based in Ethgreze. My attempts at getting the workers outfitting the ship to talk about the components and individual specs were met with fearful rejections.
Now, such adversity will not discourage this intrpid journalist! I contacted my highly confidential, and very high ranking, source at the Pilot's Federation offices to see if he could dig up some more information on the ship or her commander. While my source was able to dig out a few details on the ship, much of the information, including the commanders name, had been removed from the records. And, according to my source, rather crudely removed, which hints at a hacking job, rather than a government cover-up. He hinted that the profile of the cmonnader fit rather well with Commander Raz Brown, a former Imperial freelancer implicated in a violent incident in Zeta Horologii, where several high ranking Imperial officers died. Commander Brown has been on the run from Imperial law enforcement since, and his current whereabouts are unknown.
My source promised to try to unearth further information about thise mysterious vessel, but at the time of publication he has not been in contact with me, and I have been unable to reach him through our usual, clandestine information channels. Infer what you will, dear reader!
A regular reader, and occasional contributor, has contacted me and provided a photo of the ship, though the contributor asked not to be named, and would not even provide information about where the picture was taken! The photo, and all known specifications about the ship, are listed below.

Until next time, dear readers - and as always: keep your eyes peeled and fly safe!

Shen Rhys-Mastikoff

Overview
Diamondback Explorer class vessel "Horizon". Owner and commander unknown. Suspected commander is Raz Brown, an Imperial fugitive.


Only known photograph of "Horizon"

Features
-Paintjob: Standard "Bumble Bee Yellow"

-Weapons: Unknown, but no weapon certificates for compatible weapons were signed on the day of commissioning.

-Defense: Shield fitted, class unknown

-Other features: Unknown, though suspected long range loadout, due to the likely wish of the suspected commander to keep away from civilized space.

History
Commissioned on 11th July 3301. The vessel likely left civilized space not long after that.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

Kancro excellent idea by the way. This has been needed for a long time. Any chance this thread could be made sticky?

 

[Kancro Vantas]

THE ISS 'DAMOCLES'

What a beautiful Ship CMDR!!! Great read!!! Thanks for submitting the entry to the thread!!! Loved the name history! You now do have a place to link to for your ship's history and config! Just like anyone else who posts in here...

So everyone on this list gets that benefit, of being able to link to the post of their ship, maybe to include it in their signatures? Just a thought!

"You must spread some..." but virtual Rep +.

- - - Updated - - -

The AA (Aislings Angels) 'BLUE SHIFT'
Purchased as a battered and bruised empty shelled clunker at Dalton Gateway Shipyard in LHS 3447.

Very nice post CMDR!!! Loving the pic with the Earth Like BG! Pretty ship!! And cool name too! +Repped and godspeed in your exploration!!

 

[newman1702]

This is the commercial exploration vessel Nostromo out of Alioth, registration number 1-8-0-niner-2-4-6-0-niner. Located a crashed wreck of an unidentified ship on a small planetoid located 7,500 light years from port, exact location kept secret for business reasons. An investigation of the wreck resulted in discovery of many odd looking leathery eggs. A single egg was brought aboard to determine connection to the current trade good of the same name, and market viability as a rare commodity.

Got to love exploring, away from all the dangers of "civilized" space...

Note to self, my synthetic crew member has been acting odd since the discovery of the weird looking eggs. Need to remember to check for a patch upon return to port, the Ash unit is starting to creep me out at times.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

Yes Kancro great idea. I am already on the signature addition. Perma link to my beautiful ship created today.
Thank you for the thread. Fantastic idea and if I could give you rep I would��

 

[Alex Traut]

IEV UNEVENTFUL HORIZON

Commander: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23854&page=21&p=2587703&viewfull=1#post2587703
Loadout: http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=70g,0Wg,2-3I6u7_6Q2C8S6k,52C08c0KU0Ko5fa2UI2jw
Screenshot Archive: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B-NsN7mGJemFSkRNc2RxNmd5Qzg&usp=sharing

Overview
The Independent Exploration Vessel Uneventful Horizon is, as its registry prefix suggests, a dedicated deep-space exploration vessel equipped for survey and refueling operations. Built around the versatile "Asp" spaceframe from Lakon Spaceways, the Uneventful Horizon eschews the compromises necessary for a true multi-role ship, and has been heavily customized from the keel up in order to support the peaceful, solitary life of its owner.

View attachment 56000View attachment 56001

History
The Asp spaceframe is a time-tested design that has been in service for centuries, and as such the majority of Asps on the market are refits with their own stories and prior owners. The Uneventful Horizon was purpose-built on commission at Alioth at considerable expense--in part to allow for the extensive customization required by the owner, but also because CMDR Alex Traut was adamantly against flying a second-hand vessel. This aversion had less to do with quality or functionality than with concerns over potentially inheriting a previous owner's history--an issue that strikes home all too keenly for this pilot.

Despite being a young ship, in its few short months of service life the Uneventful Horizon has traveled further than most pilots do in the lifetime of their vessel, covering over 100 kylie and reaching as far as Sagittarius A*. The first attempt at reaching SagA was cut short by the rescue of CMDR Monchiko, who was stranded over 18 kylie away from both pop space and the ship's position at the time.

View attachment 56004

A cracked canopy necessitated a cautious return home for repairs, but the rescue was a success. The second attempt at SagA, while successful, encountered a number of setbacks, also in the form of Rat calls: Traut was 5 kylie away from SagA when he had to backtrack 8 kylie in the opposite direction to save another commander. Only a few days later, while recovering the lost distance, another call diverted him 5 kylie back again. A third call took him to 2800 LY above Sagittarius A*.



Having now successfully reached the center of the galaxy, the Uneventful Horizon is currently returning to the bubble via one of the lower Neutron Fields.

Features

• Livery: One of the most recognizable Fuel Rat vessels outside of the bubble, the Uneventful Horizon reflects its owner's aesthetic preferences with a striking vibrant purple paintjob, and a HUD theme to match. Since he has been unable to find an artist willing to add a Fuel Rats logo to the sides of the ship, Alex signals his other role with the badge of his "Pathfinder" exploration rank.

View attachment 56007View attachment 56008

• Offense: None. The Uneventful Horizon is a strictly peaceful vessel, and does not engage in combat operations. While this might provide a deceptively low impression of its pilot's abilities, nothing could be further from the truth. Weapons add weight and power draw, which decrease jump range and increase fuel consumption--two of the pilot's top tuning priorities.

• Defense: CMDR Alex Traut has been accused of having a "death wish" for running without shields--especially given the pilot's proclivity for surveying black holes and exploring planetary ring systems. This risky gamble frees up room for an extra module slot, but the risk is mitigated somewhat by the polarized hull system installed in lieu of armor or reinforcement. This experimental system routes a tiny portion of the ship's 5A Frame Shift Drive charge through the lightweight hull plating, creating an electromagnetic "navigational deflector" field while in Supercruise and for a short time after exiting. Although far too weak to have any meaningful effect against weapons fire or any serious kinetic impact, the field more than suffices for deflecting the millions of micro-particle impacts that can threaten hull integrity.

• Utility: The hull polarization is not perfect, and it is in part for that reason that the Uneventful Horizon is equipped with a prototype 3A-3C pair-teamed Auto Field Maintenance Unit. This hybrid unit was designed specifically for long-range deep-space missions where a return to pop space for repairs is impractical or impossible, and its defining feature is the ability to perform maintenance on itself if necessary. Repair duties and power consumption are dynamically assigned based on current needs, and the system is programmed to shut down and enter a "sleep" mode when not in use.

• Power: With no weapons or high-powered shields to run, the Uneventful Horizon is more than adequately served by its 2A power plant--a full three classes and 18.7 tons lighter than the stock model, and a sixth of the weight of even the 5A. The Asp frame already runs remarkably cool, and the low-output A-rated plant means that the Uneventful Horizon can easily survive even close-range encounters with stellar objects--as well as permitting it to entirely disappear from sensors by rigging for Silent Running at the touch of a button, a state which it can maintain more than long enough to evade any would-be attackers. The extreme lightweight and low-power configuration also means that a 1D Power Distributor is more than enough to power the ship's boost injectors.

View attachment 56013

• Exploration: No survey vessel would be complete without Discovery and Surface Scanners, and the Uneventful Horizon is equipped with the UCGS3-2C advanced sensor suite package, permanently installed in the Asp spaceframe's two smallest expansion bays. With no armaments to be concerned with, the fire control interface has been customized to manage all of the exploration and survey functions--even the heat sink launcher is only a thumb-press away. The stock E-rated sensor package has been replaced with Lakon's superior but lighter-weight LSW-SRS-5D, increasing both jump and sensor range without an appreciable increase in power draw. The 4A life support system ensures the cabin will remain comfortable even after months in the black, and provides 25 minutes of emergency air in a worst-case scenario. The ship's fully-loaded jump range of 32.68LY is supplemented by a massive 6B Fuel Scoop, enabling the ship to cover a kylie in under 30 minutes in emergencies.

View attachment 56016

• Operations: Out in the black, there is only one kind of emergency operation that the Uneventful Horizon typically encounters: the need to respond to a Fuel Rat call. The ship is well-suited for this task, with nearly all of its systems optimized so as to minimize gross tonnage and maximize range, and has been outfitted with a lightweight FTLC-1D Refueling Controller for programming its cargo of limpet drones. These drones are stocked in the expansive 5E cargo rack, which provides 32T of space for both the aforementioned drones and any salvage that might be discovered. Standard complement is 16T of limpets for deep-space ops, 8T when close to the bubble.

View attachment 56018View attachment 56019

Thanks for reading! Hope this was entertaining.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

A LOT of Asp love here. Its good to see. Excellent ship profiles so far, I hope this thread grows to be sticky.

 

[Cmdr Raz]

Boooo! More DBEs

Serriously though, great profiles, great pics - hope it gets stickied

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

The DBE is a very good looking ship. I like your ship profile Raz.

 

[Cmdr Raz]

The DBE is a very good looking ship. I like your ship profile Raz.

Thanks, I like yours as well Also, need to get me some of that white paint for my Asp

 

[Kancro Vantas]

Golden Gate Shipspotters: Horizon Mystery

Lovely little ship CMDR!!! Very nice post Raz!! I was saving the comment for a bump, if needed to! lol... Repped!

This is the commercial exploration vessel Nostromo out of Alioth, registration number 1-8-0-niner-2-4-6-0-niner. Located a crashed wreck of an unidentified ship on a small planetoid located 7,500 light years from port, exact location kept secret for business reasons. An investigation of the wreck resulted in discovery of many odd looking leathery eggs. A single egg was brought aboard to determine connection to the current trade good of the same name, and market viability as a rare commodity.

Lovely ship with an ill fated future! Just stay away or wait until PL gets here, then choose one to take a break while that egg hatches, would ya?

IEV UNEVENTFUL HORIZON

Very entertaining reading!! Awesome ship! Excellent pictures! +Rep! Thanks for posting!

 

[newman1702]

Lovely ship with an ill fated future! Just stay away or wait until PL gets here, then choose one to take a break while that egg hatches, would ya?

Ah, it was fine due to the fact my air ducts are actually quite small and not Alien - sized. I'll just hand the whole thing to some megacorporation, I'm sure they'll use it for good.

 

[Edelgard von Rhein]

The Federal Dropship 'Hippogriff'

Another good idea for a thread, Cmdr Kancro Vantas!
This post will be about my Federal Dropship, the 'Hippogriff'. I have a few other ships that I may eventually write something about but the Hippogriff comes first, as she is currently docked and her adventures on hold, pending the introduction of passenger transport licenses for members of the Elite Federation of Pilots.
**History**
The Hippogriff was constructed at the Federal Shipyard on Bresnik Orbital in the Erdi system in 3301 to provide for increased versatility in troop deployments along the border with Imperial space. Her name comes from a mythical creature with the head and forequarters of a giant eagle and the hindquarters of a horse: a flying steed that is able to defend itself, this was deemed to fit in with the vessel's intended duties as an armed passenger transporter.
Although members of the Elite Federation of Pilots are not currently eligible for passenger transport licenses, the authorities agreed to sell the Hippogriff to the newly-promoted Ensign Edelgard von Rhein who had rendered useful services to the Federal authorities in an internal conflict in the Nungamici system. Ensign von Rhein had need of an armed transport ship with a large cargo capacity and her first job was delivering metals to Hudson Dock to assist in the repairs of the FNS Nevermore. The Hippogriff's ability to land at outposts with a medium-sized pad proved invaluable and she safely delivered 4703 tons of metals, mostly titanium to assist with repairs to the Nevermore's hull. During this mission the Hippogriff also proved its capability in combat as several pirate fighters, lured to the region by many trade-rigged Asps and Lakon Type 6 craft with cargoes of valuable metal, tried their luck against her. They soon discovered that it had run out. Against small and medium-sized ships, the Hippogriff's armament of gimballed multicannons and beam laser turrets, with a medium multicannon turret initially being placed in the large hardpoint, proved effective at quickly destroying or driving off attackers.
With the repairs of the FNS Nevermore complete, the Hippogriff was safely stored back at Bresnik Orbital to await its next mission whilst Ensign von Rhein engaged in other activities, mainly exploration. After returning from surveying the borders of the mysterious Regor Sector, Ensign von Rhein took the Hippogriff to assist the people of the Federation in the vicinity of the Pepper system. This region is home to a cluster of high-tech Federal systems and the Hippogriff distinguished itself in their service, performing admirably as an armed cargo transport and carrying out numerous trade and courier contracts. This culminated in a mission to hunt down a defector to the Empire, who turned out to be in command of a Federal Dropship of their own. With the Hippogriff now sporting a large gimballed pulse laser instead of a multicannon turret, the traitor was quickly dispatched and Edelgard von Rhein promoted to Lt. Commander. Once again, with its tasks admirably complete, the Hippogriff was returned to Bresnik Orbital to await its next mission.
As negotiations to allow members of the Elite Federation of Pilots to hold a passenger transport license appeared to have stalled, Cmdr von Rhein decided to demonstrate the ability to safely transport passengers over long distances by entering the Hippogriff in the Buckyball Run to Sagittarius A*. For this journey it was important have the best possible jump range, whilst still having the ability to potentially transport passengers in safety, so the Hippogriff's weapons were removed but she retained a shield and some defensive measures (a chaff and heat sink launcher). With other components downgraded as much as possible, whilst still allowing the capability to boost, and with an extra fuel tank to assist in passing through regions with few scoopable stars, the Hippogriff was able to perform jumps up to 18.12LY on a full tank. Equipped with the most advanced discovery scanners and fuel scoop as well as twin auto field maintenance units, she was ready for both exploration and racing. Her journey to the centre of the galaxy was completed safely in 2 days, 3 hours and 39 minutes, demonstrating the capability of members of the Elite Federation of Pilots to potentially transport passengers over long distances in the Federation's dedicated passenger transport vessel ( https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=138772&page=144 ). The Hippogriff went on to explore the core regions due 'West' of the Galactic Centre, where she discovered a region with many major nebulae known as 'The Festival Grounds' ( https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=116450&page=25 ). In this region she visited each member of the largest cluster of nebulae, consisting of eight major nebulae ranging in size from 130*160*200LY to 40*60*50LY and one minor nebula centred on a neutron star and discovered ten Earth-like worlds. Finally setting a course for home, she visited one more major nebula, the Gatehouse Nebula, and brought her tally of Earth-like worlds to 22. She docked safely at New Dawn Station, Ceos, on 6th August 3301 after being away for 33 days and travelling approximately 70,000 LY. That she returned home from such a journey without sustaining either hull or module damage further demonstrated the trustworthiness of members of the Elite Federation of Pilots to carry passengers safely over any distance, however the negotiations to allow this to happen are extremely complex and an agreement seems unlikely to happen for many months.
After selling the data from this journey, Cmdr von Rhein achieved Elite status for her exploration efforts and applied the appropriate decal to the Hippogriff before taking it to Jameson Memorial, where it remains in its long-distance configuration. Hopefully it will not be too long before it can carry paying passengers (or Federal troops) as intended.
**Ship Features**
Livery: currently displays the Elite Exploration decal above the cockpit.
Weaponry: for regular missions, she typically carries a pair of medium gimballed multicannons with a large gimballed pulse laser and a pair of medium beam laser turrets, however she may carry alternative weaponry as circumstances change.
Internal modules: varies by mission but normally an A-rated shield and FSD, with other components being D-rated to reduce overall mass and preserve jump range. Utility mounts are equipped with additional defensive systems unless the mission requirements demand otherwise.

Spoiler

On approach to the Galactic Core.

The Hippogriff's first clear view of The Festival Grounds.

Surveying an Ammonia World in Oephaif sector.

The Hippogriff on the edge of the Gatehouse Nebula, the last point of interest she visited before heading home from her journey to the Galactic Core.

 

[Kolato]

The AEV Anaconda class stargazer​

Overview

The registered Alliance Exploration Vehicle the anaconda class "stargazer" (Although she is never reffered to by that name except for official purposes) is a long serving multi-purpose vessel in control of CMDR Kola2.

The ship has fulfilled many roles as trading, combat, mining and most importantly : Exploration.

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Features

-Paintjob
The ship bears the same paintjob that it had when it first entered service, about half a year ago.
It proudly wears 3 Elite explorer decals.

-Weapons
None - Although back in the combat days she had quite an arsenal

-Defense A 3D shield generator, mostly used to prevent scratches while docking, but powerfull enough to bring some security to the massive ship

-Scanners
The ship is outfitted with an alliance military Advanced Discovery Scanner and a Sirius™ Detailed Surface scanner™
She is also outfitted with a D8 sensor array, strong enough to detect the weakest radio signals.

-General purpose utilities
The ship carries a 7B fuel scoop, which is able to scoop fuel at 1060L/S
The fuel tank is a standard 32-ton version.
She carries 4 heat sinks, but no AFMUs.

-Power management
The stargazer carries an incredibly light and small B2 power plant, customised by the alliance military force to be able to power an entire anaconda class exploration vehicle.
(Trust me, getting a class 2 power gen in a class 7 bay, isn't as easy as it sounds)
The power distributor is a D1 for optimal weight efficiency.

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History

The stargazer started her service after her predecessor, the Anahit cruiser was destroyed of an accidental overcharge on an enemy viper.

She was first commissioned as a combat vessel.
After just few days, she was re-commisioned as a trader when the legendary Yembo starport construction took place.
She participated in the construction, contribution 5000t to the goal.

After the goal was done, and the startport partially constructed, she refitted to a short range exploration vessel and traveled to New Yembo.

She did explore a few systems, but she ended up returning home pretty quick.

She continued to trade for a few days, until she again refitted to an exploration vessel and went out to the galactic rim.
She turned around after 2500LY due to harsh conditions, and went exploring around the bubble instead.

After some time, she finally set out for the rim again, and made it.


Upon returning, she immidiently sold her data and got out again, officially re-registering her as an exploration vessel.






After the short exploration trip, she set out for Sag A*.
It was the tuffest and longest trip she had done so far, but she managed it.

She continued going on more and more exploration trips, she reached Elite status and traveled thousands of LYs.

Currently she is on her last trip, the risk of loosing her has simply become to big, and she is scheduled to get decommissioned and parked at Alioth when she returns.

The ship has traveled 270000LY as of this post (And she has quite a lot more to travel too) and visited over 10,000 star systems.

She is truly a wonder.

 

[Cmdr Tipcee]

THE IMNS-CERBERUS

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Overview

The Asp Explorer is the civilian version of the military model Asp Mk II's (which first saw service in 2878). Lakon Spaceways now owns the licence to construct these ships and has marketed them heavily at customers looking for their first multi-crewed ships. The ship class has earned a solid reputation for long range missions and those requiring some discretion.



Name

The Imperial Merchant Navy Ship - Cerberus is a true MRP (Multi-Role Platform) offering her commander, Tipcee McStaggers, amazing flexibility of fit-out for whatever role he requires:

• Light weight, long range and high tech deep space explorer (Current fit-out)
• Respected trade ship capable of handling even the most delicate of missions
• Feared bounty hunter, with ample armament and great manoeuvrability for her size, she is a force to be reckoned with when in her assault setup

It was this ability to diversify that led to her being christened the Cerberus after the mythical 3 headed dog of Greek and Roman Mythology.​ It is said that Cerberus guarded the gates of the underworld and would suffer only the dead to pass...


Features

The IMNS-Cerberus is in the following explorer fit-out currently:

Paintjob: In honour of some of histories finest and bravest explorers of the mid 20th century, she is currently painted in the White Apollo paint scheme. Cerberus proudly displays Merchant level decals to display that she comes in peace to any newly discovered races she may encounter. She has also had a cosmetic HUD upgrade to a low intensity light spectrum that increases her pilots ability to spot interesting and hazardous objects while in unexplored areas:

Spoiler

Weapons: No weapons are included in this lightweight spec.

Defence: A 3D shield generator ensures she is immune to all but the biggest hits while docking or in asteroid belts without jeopardising her jump range too much. CMDR Tipcee is extremely cautious and currently has 3 Heat Sink Launchers equipped to provide defence against pesky binaries and fuel scooping mishaps while on his way to the core. Should more serious complications arise, the 3 by 3C AFMU's that the Cerberus runs with are capable of providing on the go repairs safely and efficiently.

Research: An Advanced Discovery Scanner and Detailed Surface Scanner are among the more profitable pieces of equipment Cerberus has. Her ability to quickly scan an entire star system, isolate the bodies worth surveying and then recording huge amounts of data at long range are the equal of any.

Engines and Range: 4D Thrusters and a 5A Frame Shift Drive effortlessly propel Cerberus through space. With a fully fuelled (Un-laden) max jump range of 35.74Ly and a 4B fuel scoop, she is able to get in to, and out of, most places she wants without issue.


Power Management: A 5D power plant and 4D distributor ensures her commander is always looking at ways to conserve power but she is capable of running all equipment simultaneously if required.



Commissioning


​Commander Tipcee McStaggers was a proficient, if not exceptional, trader. With only his trusty Type-6 (The Pegasus) he managed to acquire enough personal wealth to purchase a mid budget exploration Asp and also keep the Pegasus docked, safe for his return home. It pained him to make sacrifices in the fit-out of the Cerberus but his bank account was not bottomless and the banks were none too keen to grant a 20M Cr. loan to a so-so trader who had decided he would make his riches at the centre of the galaxy! With this in mind the total commissioning invoice (inc ship) set him back a respectable total of 15,136,926Cr and left him just enough for the insurance excess should the unthinkable happen.


Identification


The following pictures may be of assistance when trying to identify the Cerberus:

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A BIG thank you to CMDR Kancro for starting this thread. It should definitely be a Sticky!


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[Kancro Vantas]

Thank you guys!!! Beautiful Ships all of them and amazing stories!!!

Just started a list section in the OP with links to the corresponding Ship Profile!!

Keep them coming guys!! This is awesome! ;-)

 

[newman1702]

I'll show off my shiny new Clipper, the Northern Light, in a couple of days when I get to my main system again. I bought her while the rank relaxation was in effect and parked her until I can afford decent modules. Normally I wouldn't even buy a ship before I had enough to outfit it, but in the Clipper's case I had a sneaking suspicion the rank relaxation would go away soon, and I didn't want to risk it - getting one without having to grind out that Baron rank is pretty much perfect for me

edit: The Hippogriff is such a great name for an FDS. +1 for making me laugh with that.. and of course for exploring with it, not many people use it for that.