The "Black Rhino"

[worldstrider]

Just for fun 'cause I was taking a break and bored. I had played the camara a few times and loved how it handled and the torpedo-like shape. I always have wished they had the equivalent of a "P-38" in Freelancer and was thinking, how could you mass produce a cheap gunship using already existing production? Here it is.

My idea is to keep the camara like agility somewhat--make it more agile than the spatial and perhaps certainly a hair better than your average bomber. The Rhino acts as the command center/pilot/gunner seat and the camaras house the engines and weapons. Cargo and even armor would be sacrificed for agility so maybe leave the Rhino cargo hold intact and lose all the camara's. Reduce the hull to a little less than a spatial and a big powerplant isn't needed as all it will have for guns is 12 type 5 turrets (throw a CM/CD/mine onto the Rhino).

So you have a nimble, lightly armored gunship made by DSE and Liberty shipyards. Fun to fly is the goal. Here are the pics (I just like the look--so I thought I'd post it;)) If it's tooo much for it's niche, the hull could be cut in half and the price dropped while retaining the agility.

Here's he stats comparison (taken from combined) to a Spatial which is a close match and throwing away cargo space to keep the camara maneuverability which makes up for less potential firepower than the spatial (no class 10 guns, missiles, mines or a torp for example):

HULL(BLACK RHINO/SPATIAL)
31,000/29,600
CARGO
225(-1,260)/180
POWER
27,400/39,130
RECHARGE
2,735/2,350
BATS-BOTS
205/270
PRICE
3,783,770/4,298,380

Black Rhino has 12x class 5 turrets + CD & 2x CM.
Spatial has 4x class 10 guns, 2x class 9 and 3x class 5 turrets plus 2x M and CDT & CM.

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[Turkish]

Thats really nicely done Tink, I can think of a few ways to streamline the design, but mmm smexy.

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I have a fetish for all things Norse.

[Marcus Lindberg]

NICE!

how cheap is it gonna be exactly though? Liberty unboat costs 38 mil, is this half the price or around the same price?

[Shaka]

Looks sweet, I would definitely fly it. Like the P-38, it'd be a long range escort fighter. I actually have a massive P-38 poster on my wall;)

In terms of the model, maybe beef up the connections between the pontoons and the main hull.

In terms of price, I'd suggest a nice round 10 or 15 million. I dunno?

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RFP File |Josef Marks' Story|Feedback

[bluntpencil2001]

A cool idea, and a nice look to it too. Looks unique, but very Libertonian. It also avoids looking like it should belong to the Navy or Police.

Good work so far!

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[worldstrider]

I have some reinforced pylons--just not hooked up yet. Should be pretty fun--class 5 turrets only but 12 of them can pack a punch and if it has the agility its worthwhile. I'll put some specs up in a bit.

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[Drake]

It's... A Rhino with two Camaras attached...

[Marcus Lindberg]

It's... A Rhino with two Camaras attached...

still pretty unique

[worldstrider]

It's... A Rhino with two Camaras attached...

Yes--I am thinking "real life" as opposed to imaginatively invented. Using standard production lines and common components and modules for varying machines is most effiecient. It's simply practical.

The creative part here is taking an ubiuitous vanilla freighter (the rhino) and matching it with a ubiquitous Disco freigher (the camara)--two entry level ships many will know and love--and then making something that isn't duplicated by other ships.

Using imagination, think how fun this would be to fly if it handled like the camara. Twelve guns is enough punch to make it usable and it would be a decent mining ship as well.

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[DiscoveryAccount]

Awesome design. I love it. you've got talent.

hmm.. I guess you guys are trying to follow Freelancer's stye but.. would it be possible to have nice color for ships o.0

they're so boring..

Oh and don't forget the oh-so-loved Liberty sign;)oh, nevermind. It's there.

But I think you should put the liberty signs on both sides of the "camaras"

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