[Custom] Mu-3 Stealth Shuttle

Mu-3 Stealth Shuttle



Ship Class: Starfighter
Ship Role: Starfighter
Ship Length: 18 meters
Agility (A): 2
Defensive (D): 4
Offensive (O): 3
Speed (S): 3
Special Gear: 2 (Troop Capacity, Stealth Field Generator)

Description:

With the creations of the Upsilon and TIE/sas Stealth Shuttles, Siener Fleet Systems decided to extend itself further in its stealth shuttles. Already creating variants for VIPs and small assault teams, the designers wanted to allow larger, platoon-sized units stealth drops for heavier ground missions. With this choice, they wanted to still be efficient in their design and its size so as to not take up more space than needed.

The answer to their needs was found in the Mu-3 Shuttle. Still holding a size similar to the Upsilon, it was built to drop a platoon of forty troops into battle. During the design stages, they elected to modify the ship further than the previous two, seeking to alter its hull and shape from the similarities found in the Lambda-class T-4 Shuttle. To start, the cockpit was changed from the original tabular, elongated module and replaced with a smaller, conical hexagon with a larger transparisteel viewport that allowed the pilot a better view of the area around him. This smaller shape reduced two meters from its overall size and only allowed for three members to be in the cockpit at once: a pilot, co-pilot, and a gunner.

With the cockpit's design change, the main hull had to undergo changes to accommodate. This, in turn, removed the boarding ramp that lowered beneath the craft. But this proved beneficial as the frame was bulked up slightly as the boarding ramp was enlarged slightly and placed at the rear of the ship, allowing for quicker deployment. With the boarding ramp moved to the rear, alterations to the engines were made as well, including an additional pair that emerged slightly from the top of the craft. This gave it more thrust and boosted its speed over the original model as well.

With the engine modification, the wings were no longer able to fully fold up as it once did, thus losing their storage space. This was rectified by allowing the wings to fold up as normal with a secondary fold in the middle of the wing. This design furthered the "bird" appearance as the wings seemed to fold into the craft rather than above it.

With the final bit of the hull changed, the next focus came the stealth systems that were used. Though a cloaking device was the original goal, installing the hardware meant losing room for the full complement of troops. As such, an advanced stealth field generator similar to the TIE Silencer was installed instead, rendering the ship invisible to sensors. With the decision not to utilize the full cloak, its armament was upgraded, giving it a pair of fire-linked, twin laser cannons in the front with a twin laser cannon in the rear.