AC33 Dropstar
AC33 Dropstar - Medium freighter 
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| Manufacturer | Albr Corp | |
| Ship statistics | ||
| Price | 4,500,000 Cr | |
| Hull Mass | 1,150 t | |
| Capacity | 3,000 t | |
| Cargo capacity | {{{cargo_capacity}}} t | |
| Crew | min. 3 | max. 5 |
| Equipment | ||
| Hyperdrive mount | yes | Default class: 0 |
| Scoop mounts | 0 | |
| Max cabins | {{{max_cabins}}} | |
| Weapon mounts | {{{max_weapons}}} | |
| Max missiles | {{{max_missiles}}} | |
| DeltaV | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | 250 t | |
| Exhaust Velocity | {{{effective_exhaust_velocity}}} km/s | |
| deltaV | empty: {{{deltav_empty}}} km/s | full: {{{deltav_full}}} km/s |
| Acceleration | ||
| Forward acceleration | empty: {{{forward_accel_empty}}} G | full: {{{forward_accel_full}}} G |
| Reverse acceleration | empty: {{{reverse_accel_empty}}} G | full: {{{reverse_accel_full}}} G |
| Up acceleration | empty: {{{up_accel_empty}}} G | full: {{{up_accel_full}}} G |
| Down acceleration | empty: {{{down_accel_empty}}} G | full: {{{down_accel_full}}} G |
| Lateral acceleration | empty: {{{lateral_accel_empty}}} G | full: {{{lateral_accel_full}}} G |
| Angular acceleration | empty: {{{angular_accel_empty}}} | full: {{{angular_accel_full}}} |
| Atmospheric characteristics | ||
| Atmo. shield mount | {{{atmo_shield}}} | |
| Atmo. pressure limit | {{{atmo_pressure_limit}}} atm | |
| Lift coefficient | {{{lift_coef}}} | |
| Aerodynamic stability | {{{aero_stability}}} | |
| Frontal drag | {{{front_drag}}} | |
| Sideways drag | {{{side_drag}}} | |
| Top drag | {{{top_drag}}} | |
History
After the success of the Deneb, Albr Corp was one of the corporations approached by the Federation Navy to produce designs for a low cost, atmospheric capable "drop ship" for ferrying troops / equipment / armored vehicles from orbiting carriers to front line battlefield locations and vice versa.
The basic specifications:
- Low maintenance
- Atmospheric, aerodynamic design
- Robust design with redundant system protection
- Earth to LEO in < 2 minutes
- Mechanism for quickly loading / unloading without the need for cranes
- Quick loading / unloading of APC's / tanks / vehicles etc.
Albr Corp based its whole ship design around two large engines (that were designed for a much larger ship and would never normally be fitted to a ship this size) and a large loading ramp at the rear, leading to a spacious cargo hold, that would allow troops / vehicles to drive on and off.
Even with stiff competition from several other corporations, Albr Corp eventually won the contract with its design, mainly because the ship was designed from the ground up as a military drop ship and not a "militarised" version of a civilian ship like most other corporations proposed.
This ship was named the AC33 but was more widely known as by its project name "Dropstar".
Improvements and changes
Many small shipyards have started buying up older Dropstar's that the Federal Navy have decommissioned and fit them with simple crew cabins so that they are capable of long distance travel. These ships are certainly not as comfortable as their sister ship the Venturestar, but they are functional and make a perfect working ship. Many are sold to express courier companies because of their good cargo space, quick starport turnaround capability and most of all the powerful engines fitted to these ships.
Other uses
The Federation Navy has been known to fit hyperdrives, extended fuel tanks and multi-missile tubes to the AC33, turning them into quite a formidable long range "missile boat".
