Starclipper

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This article is about the Airbus A510 spacecraft. For the Space Patrol spacecraft, see Star Clipper class

Spacecraft Registry

Airbus A510 Starclipper
The prototype A510 Starclipper in an early test flight, late July 2011.
Spacecraft Characteristics
Base Hull	Custom design based on the Orion III spacecraft from 2001: A Space Odyssey
Length	64.94 m (213 ft)
Width	33.22 m (109 ft) (wingspan)
Height	15.54 m (51 ft) (height on gear)
Mass	128,000 kg (282,192 lbs)
Drive Type	Hybrid
Drive Rating	Peak velocity 0.02c
Armament	none standard
Primary Manufacturer	Airbus / Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems
Owner	varies
Flag of Record	variable depending on owner
Faction	variable depending on owner
Registry Number	variable depending on owner
Launched	July 14, 2011
Purpose	passenger & freight transport
Primary Crew	2 (pilot, copilot)
Operational Status	Active

The Airbus A510 (also known as the Starclipper) is the first mass-produced passenger and freight aerospace craft in Fenspace. It also holds the distinction of being the first mass-produced vehicle in Fenspace co-built with Mundane corporations.

History

capsule history to be developed: The fine feathered fellows at Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems manage to ink a preliminary deal with Airbus bigwigs to design a passenger liner for the Earth-Fenspace market. They decide on the design of the Orion spaceplane from 2001, since it's photogenic, about the size of a mid-sized widebody like a 767, and the design is pretty iconic in both Fenspace and the 'Danelaw. So they put the design together, set up some shops to manufacture the necessary wavetech components & sell the thing to Airbus. Airbus immediately puts their people to work cranking out A510s, which don't sell *quite* like hotcakes, but sell enough to justify Airbus keeping the lines open and paying Yoyodyne a king's ransom for their trouble.

Design

to be developed: the thing is based off the 2001 spaceplane (see the image): pair of big thrusters in the rear with a set of secondary vernier thrusters and the like. The major wavetech components are the main engines, the life support system and the backup thrusters, which are a reactionless drive system. Major difference between the movie Orion and the Starclipper is the passenger compartment: the movie version only seats 40, whereas the A510 can seat up to 120 thanks to wavetech decreasing the necessary size of the engines/life support/etc.

Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems

to be developed: a small "upstart" group, made up of designers who couldn't create what they wanted to at Utopia Planitia, Kuat Drive Yards, Takeuchi, or Caprica. More designers than builders. Very transparent in their operations, and happy to let Blue Blazers come in and inspect whenever they ask.

Class Quirks

The A510, being a strongly hardtech vehicle built largely by mundanes, drifts toward mundane definitions of "quirk" more than the common Fen definition. The A510 is notoriously hard to handle at low speed thanks to the relatively small wing area, and the placement of the cockpit makes landing difficult - the craft has similar forward visibility problems as the Concorde, but without the Concorde's famous drooping nose.