Dart class 50ton Modular Cutter

[far-trader]

As it's part of my project and already gotten questions I figured I'd shift to the Cutter before getting back to the Grav-Carrier (and other bits) to answer some of the questions about my take on it. So here's a look at the nearly completed SketchUp model...

...of course by nearly completed I mean it's all I'm doing on it for now :smirk:

So, not much of a description or anything besides the briefly annotated notes. It still needs a lot of dressing up and verbiage that'll have to wait a bit. But ask away and I'll answer if it's not Classified above your clearance level

 

[Vile]

Aha, so that's what you're up to ...

I like it. A little different from my take, although I'm now leaning towards the fully-cylindrical module. too. Why the deep waist in front of the engines?

 

[jawillroy]

Why the deep waist in front of the engines?

My bet? Looks cool. Because it does...

 

[atpollard]

My bet? Looks cool. Because it does...

The best reason for any design decision.

 

[far-trader]

Why the deep waist in front of the engines?

Yeah, probably because it's cool

But you'd have to ask the miniature sculptor since that's what I took it from.

Or I could always handwave a cooling or interference technobabble note

On that, the angled section just ahead of the thruster does look like cooling fins (in three radial sections rather than complete circumference). A detail I may add later.

And there appears to be a large hatch or something on the lower half of the nose on the mini which I won't be adding as I don't get it (functionally or aesthetically).

 

[coliver988]

...Why the deep waist in front of the engines?

And they've been that way a while (the old it's always been that way).

(let me know if this much does not fall under fair use and I can cut the image down; it is from Supplement 7, GDW. And let me know if I posted this already - I may have not hit the submit and went elsewhere, or I did and a moderator took it out. It's almost quitting time & my brain may have hiccupped)

 

[aramis]

Moderator Mode:It falls within the allowed fair use, especially since you attributed source.

 

[far-trader]

Well the compy was balky last weekend when I went to play with this again, and I didn't get much time this week, but here's what I managed to work out tonight.

The cutter and (my version of) the standard module. Standard being a 50/50 split of passengers (x20 in 10tons) and bulk cargo (10tons) on the main deck. That leaves 5tons in each of the loft and the bilge. That can be whatever, but in the canon classic it's extra fuel (for those really long trips, or more likely to refuel the mothership).

Now then, as you'll see, in my take to unload bulk cargo or gain easy access to the loft and bilge (if carrying anything you need, like baggage and such) it's all but required that the cutter set the module down then release it and move away (on the ground or in a suitable bay). The cutter stairs and cargo ramp are included (retracted in the hulls when not needed).

The Cutter and Module Landed:

...and in xray vision to show the internal layout:

 

[far-trader]

Oh, as a side note, in my take to carry a 10ton ATV you are limited to just one and it takes up 20tons. Like the book has always said! And just like the limit (half-tonnage) on carrying a vehicle in a bay! But it's handy drive-on/drive-off and you still have the loft and bilge for fuel or whatever.

...now I suppose I have to SketchUp the ATV too :nonono:

Where does it end o:

:rofl:

 

[far-trader]

I don't know if all this happy coincidence is coincidence or the original mini-modeler and designer knew what they were doing or it's just my knack for making things fit in other peoples stuff. But hey, I like that it works so nicely whatever the reason(s)