Travels With My Sidewinder: The Galaxy or Bust

GregMalcolm

GregMalcolm
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So I needed a challenge! Earlier this year I had the honor of joining the Sidewinder Escort for returning Explorer Jermus Karlsen who had just got back from Beagle Point, also in a sidewinder. I decided there and then that I really like being back in the sidewinder and that I'd be using it for my next expedition. And my next Expedition is to circumnavigate the galaxy!

Unlike the other great sidewinding pioneers (R4nger0, Frawd Digger and Jermus) I'll be able to enjoy the full benefits of current cutting edge Engineering. I am flying the Leviathan, a mighty vessel capable of jumping 27.41Ly (28.10ly on fumes). It would actually be capable of 38.21Ly, but exploration equipment can really weight a ship down. The engineering comes at a price though, many of the components are extremely fragile. In particular the Sensors and Life Supports can burn out extremely easily if exposed to heat. As you'll hear about in my first Log entry...

The purpose of my trip is to see the whole galaxy and have fun. I plan to travel to the Rift first and work my way around the galaxy clockwise. I won't be sticking to the outside of the galactic rim all of the time though, because that would get repeative. I fully expect to take deviataions.

This will be fun. If I survive. Feel free to to start a sweepstake on far I get before I overheat and explode... :D

Expedition Notes

This are specs for my Exploration build:

Ship: Sidewinder
Ship Name: Leviathan
Jump Range (Max): 27.23
Jump Range (Full Tank): 28.10
Loadout link: https://eddp.co/u/9AUzuf2w

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It's capababilies are helped along by having an FSD with an optimized mass of 57.2%. When stripped down the ship is capable of https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...r-Jump-Range?p=5489757&viewfull=1#post5489757 jumps.

Loadout:

A sidewinder only has 4 optional slots. I picked the following:

* 2A Fuel Scoop
* 2G Planetary Vehicle Hangar
* Advanced Discovery Scanner
* Detailed Surface Scanner (with Grade 5 Fast Scan modification)

This means I have no shields and no AFMU. This sounds dangerous but it turns out Sidewinders being light are pretty easy to land with damage by easing down using a Flight Assist Off toggle.

Ships Logs

Days 1 - 7: Leviathan Get's a Grilling
Days 8 - 12: The Bubble Nebula Hill Fort
Days 13 - 15: IC 1805 and the Sagan Class Tourist Ship
Days 16 - 17: Heart and Soul
 
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GregMalcolm

GregMalcolm
pipestein said:
Has anyone done a circumnavigation in a Sidewinder? I won't say it's insane or aliens... but, THARGOIDS!
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As far as I know it's not been done yet. I know of 3 sidewinder explorers who have made it to the far rim but mostly via direct paths. Jermus kind of did the Eastern part by following the Sagittarrius-Carina arm all the way up to Beagle Point but then he took a fairly direct route home.


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Days 1 - 7: Leviathan Get's a Grilling

On May 7 3307 the engineering was finally complete. Leviathan was as ready as she was every going to be. With some trepedition I set off from Elgin Hub in Chertan heading towards NGC 7822 Nebula.

On the way I stopped off at LBN 623, the Iris and the Cave Nebulae:

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... before arriving at NGC 7822. The NGC Nebula is famous for it's many O and B stars, some in orbit of Black Holes

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While cataloging these many bright and beautiful stars I ran into trouble; at one system I flew through the edge of a secondary star and began to overheat. On inspecting my modules I was alarmed to discover my Sensors were down to 20% and my Life support was at 50%.

Worse still, which engaged in reckless scooping on later O stars Leviathan lost sensors altogether and had to be rebooted to restore integrity. This happened a 2nd time before all O stars were successfully scanned. Why was heat causing such clamity? Engineering! All the modules have been optimized for jump distance. The price? Component Integrity! Oh oh.

However not all was lost. NGC 7822 has become something of a tourist destination which means it is now fitted with an Asteroid base. I was able able to dock and repair. Here's how bad

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Well... this is all a little unnerving but I wanted a challenge. My ship is repaired, so if I proceed cautiously I may live to tell the tale. To be continued...

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-VR- pipestein

-VR- pipestein
Well good luck Marlon, then again you won't need it your a vet. BTW your rngeneered sidey has a jump range almost as good as my vanilla AspX. lol man alive when I get back to the bubble it is going to be a serious shock to the system.
 

GregMalcolm

GregMalcolm
pipestein said:
Well good luck Marlon, then again you won't need it your a vet.
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Thanks! Vet or not this one makes me nervous... :D

pipestein said:
BTW your rngeneered sidey has a jump range almost as good as my vanilla AspX. lol man alive when I get back to the bubble it is going to be a serious shock to the system.
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Yeah, you must have been out exploring for getting on for 2 years now? Should be quite the homecoming!
 

Cmdr Frawd Digger

Cmdr Frawd Digger
Aaah, a Cmdr of my own heart :)

Best of luck...

Even with the engineering it is going to be a huge challenge! Mostly of your will-power but also for the greatest little ship in the galaxy.

Frawd
 

Old Duck

Old Duck
To OP, this reminds me of the brave souls who circumnavigate the earth in relatively small sailboats. Over the years I've followed some online, read others' biographies after the fact, and there's something "wow" about taking on the giant ocean (or in your case, galaxy) in a small ship. Best of luck to you!
 

Jaiotu

Jaiotu
Awesome stuff!

I just recently cleared one of my alternate accounts and started over in a Sidewinder. My goal is to reach Elite in exploration without purchasing any other ships. Currently my ship is not engineered and I'm on my way to Polo Harbour to start the last stretch of my way to Colonia. I'm about three weeks into playing under this new game save I'm already at Ranger and 15% of the way to Pioneer.

I haven't decided where to take this Sidewinder next after reaching Colonia ... SgrA*? Beagle Point? I'd really like to find someplace more unique though ...
 

GregMalcolm

GregMalcolm
Old Duck said:
To OP, this reminds me of the brave souls who circumnavigate the earth in relatively small sailboats. Over the years I've followed some online, read others' biographies after the fact, and there's something "wow" about taking on the giant ocean (or in your case, galaxy) in a small ship. Best of luck to you!
Click to expand...

Yep, this kind of thing is a definite inspiration to what I"m going for. I definitely think the Sidewinder is as close as you get to a singlr handed sailboat in this game

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Jaiotu said:
Awesome stuff!

I just recently cleared one of my alternate accounts and started over in a Sidewinder. My goal is to reach Elite in exploration without purchasing any other ships. Currently my ship is not engineered and I'm on my way to Polo Harbour to start the last stretch of my way to Colonia. I'm about three weeks into playing under this new game save I'm already at Ranger and 15% of the way to Pioneer.

I haven't decided where to take this Sidewinder next after reaching Colonia ... SgrA*? Beagle Point? I'd really like to find someplace more unique though ...
Click to expand...

That's a pretty amazing idea! Maybe I'll run into you in the deep dark...
 

GregMalcolm

GregMalcolm
Ships Logs

Days 8 - 12: The Bubble Nebula Hill Fort

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I'd like to say the Journey from NGC 7822 to Bubble Nebula went smoothly, but actually I ran out of fuel [where is it] and had to call in the Fuel Rats. Up to now I had a spotless record, and I'd logged 25,000 systems too. When a Sidewinder runs out of fuel, it really runs out of fuel! I had just enough left to go land, wait in the safety of my SRV and pop back out again to meet up with CMDR NiteCreeper for refueling.

But... aside from that little snafu the Bubble Nebula was well worth the visit. While in the nebula I saw some amazing sites including a natural fort formed by canyons. Here are a few samples:

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Aura Lorell

Aura Lorell
Circumnavigation in a Sidewinder... You're totally mad in a good sense of the way. Good luck and I hope everything goes well and you have lots of fun. Some awesome pictures there too, thank you so much for sharing. :D
 

GregMalcolm

GregMalcolm
Ships Logs

Days 13 - 15: IC 1805 and the Sagan Class Tourist Ship

I stopped in briefly at the NGC 281 Nebula

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And started heading out to the next destination...

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... The IC 1805 planetary nebula ...

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And encountered my first ever "Megaship", a Sagan Class Tourist Ship:

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