Swapping the Anaconda for?

[Major Klutz]

a courier has a class 3 FSD and 8T of fuel. a class 3 FSD needs 1,8 tons of fuel per jump. the courier can make 4,5 jumps on a full tank. a conda with its standard 32 T of fuel can make precisely 4 jumps. not sure what's tiny about that.

as its modules are also much smaller, it also needs less fuel per hour running idle.

Even so, I was able to go from a full tank to about half a tank after only a couple of hours searching USS'

Correction: Down 1/4 tank after 2 hours. Burning 0.9t/hr with everything on you'll have a bit over 8 hours of fuel in the courier. Should be plenty.

 

[Jackie Silver]

The Clipper can't match the Courier's speed either.

Yah, there's around 150ms-1 boost speed difference, more or less - I'm out in the black at the moment so can't be certain but AIR my Clipper makes around 590ms-1 under boost and my Courier makes around 740ms-1 if I take the weapons off. Both ships can reach their full potential speed even when using heavily tweaked dirty drive tuning, which is a definite plus - that's harder or impossible on some ships at present, especially with any kind of generally useful build, so the "paper" speeds turn out less than the "practical" speeds..

The Clipper was so far under the optimum mass for the thrusters that I was able to load it up with 150 tons of cargo and still hit over 590ms-1.

As far as searching planets go, I'd take an Asp over the Courier any time (if I wasn't worried about being attacked), even though I prefer the Courier as a ship; the much better (i.e. it has a downwards view) downwards view of the Asp means you can fly in the cockpit view and scan the ground, while if you want to do that in a Courier you either fly upside down or go outside into external view and lose all the feedback from the instruments. Similarly with other Lakons, and if I remember rightly the Vulture has downward view panels too. Some ship like that that you wouldn't expect, anyway. Think it's the Vulture.

 

[HazardousMatt]

So I got the beta and fitted out the Clipper and got 38.3ly range, 500m/s boost..fast and nimble, easy as heck to scoop and zoom by planets. I was jumping faster than my Conda because how easy it is to get around the star. Now I'm gonna try the Python.

 

[GJ51]

I find myself coming back to my Clipper more and more recently.

Raw speed is such an asset in the current environment. Perhaps even more so when 2.3 releases.

 

[Major Klutz]

You have me intrigued. I just made Baron yesterday so I think I'll go buy a Clipper and give it a try.

 

[HazardousMatt]

You have me intrigued. I just made Baron yesterday so I think I'll go buy a Clipper and give it a try.

It's a very fun ship to fly. But I'm still suck between the Clipper and the Python. I got the Python in the beta close to what the Clipper can do. The Python I modded has 1 more LY range than my Clipper but the Python has horrible pitch so it can't redirect around the star as good as the Clipper can. Both however have WAY better pitch than my Conda. I actually timed my Clipper in jumping compared to my Conda. My Conda has a 53ly range so I can do about 1,000ly in 20 min on average. So that's 500ly in about 10 min. My Clipper did 500ly in around 11min give or take a minute.....and it's jump range is 38. Just shows how speed and agility can outperform brute jump range.

 

[Cmdr Frawd Digger]

I'm heading back to the bubble to do some engineering before 2.3 lands. With the new blueprints I was gonna try to push the Conda to the 63LY range with a fighter and SRV. Right now I'm sitting at 53 with a fighter. Then I got to thinking it's more fun scanning and exploring the world's rather than jump honking which you tend to do when you have such a large jump range. But if I want to scan and explore planets I kind of want a more manoeuvrable ship. I know I would probably have to sacrifice the fighter for a more limble ship. So I was thinking the Python. Some reason I just love my Python and was thinking on kitting it out for exploration I can get it close to a 45ly jump range. But I'm not quite set on taking that ship out for a long exploring expidition. What are your thoughts or which ship would you take out for a long expidition scanning and exploring?

Go with a sidey...they are very agile and a challenge for any explorer worth his salt!

Frawd

 

[Kuroshio]

Yah, there's around 150ms-1 boost speed difference, more or less - I'm out in the black at the moment so can't be certain but AIR my Clipper makes around 590ms-1 under boost and my Courier makes around 740ms-1 if I take the weapons off. Both ships can reach their full potential speed even when using heavily tweaked dirty drive tuning, which is a definite plus - that's harder or impossible on some ships at present, especially with any kind of generally useful build, so the "paper" speeds turn out less than the "practical" speeds..

The Clipper was so far under the optimum mass for the thrusters that I was able to load it up with 150 tons of cargo and still hit over 590ms-1.

As far as searching planets go, I'd take an Asp over the Courier any time (if I wasn't worried about being attacked), even though I prefer the Courier as a ship; the much better (i.e. it has a downwards view) downwards view of the Asp means you can fly in the cockpit view and scan the ground, while if you want to do that in a Courier you either fly upside down or go outside into external view and lose all the feedback from the instruments. Similarly with other Lakons, and if I remember rightly the Vulture has downward view panels too. Some ship like that that you wouldn't expect, anyway. Think it's the Vulture.

Yeah, it's the Vulture - the downward view is not as good as in Lakons, but it's the only ship beside them where it's possible.

 

[marx]

Yep, I just checked, and the Vulture does have some downward view too: however, it's very limited. Basically as wide as your feet. So, I'm not sure it would be of much use during planetary exploration.

Also, yet another thing about the Clipper. It has class 6 thrusters, but does quite well on class 5 too. If you mod yourself some class 5 thrusters, you can (re)use said thrusters on some top combat ships: namely, the FdL and the Vulture. Like the FSD, the Clipper's thrusters are another expensive piece of equipment and mod that can be used well on other ships too.
Or if you go with modding some 6A thrusters, don't forget that the Clipper itself can be made into a good combat ship. The shields are weak, yes, but the ship can fit plenty of hull reinforcements and still fly well. It is sort of tricky to fly in combat in any case: FA-Off and thrusters are a must.

Oh, and by the way, with 2.3, the lightweight sensors mod can push a really stripped-down Clipper to 40 ly jump range (with SRV), but for that, you'll need 4D thrusters. So while that range can be achieved, I don't think it'd be worth sacrificing one of the strengths of the Clipper, namely its forward speed.

 

[HazardousMatt]

Yep, I just checked, and the Vulture does have some downward view too: however, it's very limited. Basically as wide as your feet. So, I'm not sure it would be of much use during planetary exploration.

Also, yet another thing about the Clipper. It has class 6 thrusters, but does quite well on class 5 too. If you mod yourself some class 5 thrusters, you can (re)use said thrusters on some top combat ships: namely, the FdL and the Vulture. Like the FSD, the Clipper's thrusters are another expensive piece of equipment and mod that can be used well on other ships too.
Or if you go with modding some 6A thrusters, don't forget that the Clipper itself can be made into a good combat ship. The shields are weak, yes, but the ship can fit plenty of hull reinforcements and still fly well. It is sort of tricky to fly in combat in any case: FA-Off and thrusters are a must.

Oh, and by the way, with 2.3, the lightweight sensors mod can push a really stripped-down Clipper to 40 ly jump range (with SRV), but for that, you'll need 4D thrusters. So while that range can be achieved, I don't think it'd be worth sacrificing one of the strengths of the Clipper, namely its forward speed.

Yeah I'm testing it out in the beta with the new blueprints. I got it go 38.3ly range with a top speed of 500m/s.

 

[Iron Orchid]

Good question. The Courier still has a nose that sticks out a bit and partially obscures your downward view, but you can see downward to the sides and you would certainly be able to cover much more ground.

It has a great view you just have to learn to fly upside down.

 

[Muetdhiver]

It has a great view you just have to learn to fly upside down.

That, so true.

The courrier makes for a neat little exploration ship, and the full glass roof canopy is one of the best.
SRV or not is the big decision with it, along with 3D vs 3A enhanced drives.

Mine does 680 m/s with 37 lyr range, with the SRV on board. I cannot see myself departing from the 3A enhanced
for those canyons '^^

Lightweight SRV bays would be lol on this ship.

 

[marx]

Hm, in the Courier, I generally flew planetside neither upside-down nor horizontally, but sideways. But then, I never actually found anything new by visual only, so...

The courrier makes for a neat little exploration ship, and the full glass roof canopy is one of the best.
SRV or not is the big decision with it, along with 3D vs 3A enhanced drives.

Don't forget that enhanced thrusters are also available in 2A size. It's a pretty good middle ground for the Courier.

Lightweight SRV bays would be lol on this ship.

Agreed. It would be my favourite mod.

 

[HazardousMatt]

Hm, in the Courier, I generally flew planetside neither upside-down nor horizontally, but sideways. But then, I never actually found anything new by visual only, so...


Don't forget that enhanced thrusters are also available in 2A size. It's a pretty good middle ground for the Courier.


Agreed. It would be my favourite mod.

Yeah with 2A enhanced thrusters the Courier's speed is the same as the ship launched fighters, but with a 38.7ly range.

 

[marx]

One thing I forgot to mention: do note that there are also important flight characteristics which aren't visible in-game, nor build planning sites like Coriolis: forward, lateral and backwards acceleration. There's a list of them here, though it's not up to date, but it should give you a good idea of what to expect.
No idea about where SLF-s would fit there, but of the ships, the Courier has the best forward acceleration, with the rest being on par with the most maneuverable small ships.

 

[HazardousMatt]

Well I done it. I've went with the Clipper and modded the heck out of it. https://eddp.co/u/Xq3gglXS
I am now waiting on 2.3 to finish with the mods. It was a blast customizing it. I unlocked 7 Engineers in the process and got above the limit rolls on the Thrusters, FSD, and the Power Distributor. She is a blast to fly

 

[Hanekura Shizuka]

I'm heading back to the bubble to do some engineering before 2.3 lands. With the new blueprints I was gonna try to push the Conda to the 63LY range with a fighter and SRV. Right now I'm sitting at 53 with a fighter. Then I got to thinking it's more fun scanning and exploring the world's rather than jump honking which you tend to do when you have such a large jump range. But if I want to scan and explore planets I kind of want a more manoeuvrable ship. I know I would probably have to sacrifice the fighter for a more limble ship. So I was thinking the Python. Some reason I just love my Python and was thinking on kitting it out for exploration I can get it close to a 45ly jump range. But I'm not quite set on taking that ship out for a long exploring expidition. What are your thoughts or which ship would you take out for a long expidition scanning and exploring?

Oddly enough, I intend to do similar, after the Anaconda I'd had for the last 18 months met the wrong end of a neutron star yesterday. My current plan is to go out in my DBX once 2.3 goes live. I cut my teeth in exploration on the DBX, and the changes Frontier's making to the ship make it far more useful for exploration.

 

[Pirin]

Well I done it. I've went with the Clipper and modded the heck out of it. https://eddp.co/u/Xq3gglXS
I am now waiting on 2.3 to finish with the mods. It was a blast customizing it. I unlocked 7 Engineers in the process and got above the limit rolls on the Thrusters, FSD, and the Power Distributor. She is a blast to fly

[up]

...why you equipped those A grade thrusters? Exploration Clipper is perfectly fine with D grade.

 

[Zieman]

[up]

...why you equipped those A grade thrusters? Exploration Clipper is perfectly fine with D grade.

Isn't that obvious?
" She is a blast to fly " + returning to bubble is a bit safer.
Same reason I have 5A thrusters in my exploration/mission runner Asp.

 

[Pirin]

Isn't that obvious?
" She is a blast to fly " + returning to bubble is a bit safer.
Same reason I have 5A thrusters in my exploration/mission runner Asp.

Cant argue against fun factor Flying a fast ship is a blast indeed.
I just wonder how much boost that tiny PD would allow? My guess is there will be a long recharge period between boosts or no boost at all.
I have a different approach to this: D grade thrusters coupled with a larger engine engineered PD. With this setup i can boost every few seconds, allowing me to run on boost indefinitely. That means maintaining speeds in 430-465 range. Which is more than no-boost A grade+small PD.