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An in-depth look at how Drakes latest

innovation will revolutionize their
signature spacecraft
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In service for over one hundred years, the AS-1 Cutlass has acquired a
colorful history as Drake Interplanetarys first and most successful
general-purpose spaceship.

The creation of the Cutlass traces back to before Drake officially

existed as a company. It was first unveiled in 2845 as a candidate for the
UEE militarys Volksfighter concept, however it was rejected after the
pitch was underbid by a less expensive competitor. Undeterred by losing
the contract, the engineering team that designed the Cutlass repurposed
it for militia usage.

The Cutlass remained a formidable combat transport after its

conversion, and its modular cargo bay enabled it to perform a larger
variety of roles than any comparable craft at the time. It could also be
constructed and maintained with common materials found on nearly
every habitable planet or station - which was especially enticing to
distant or high-risk systems that have difficulty receiving logistical
support from the UEE.

The public had an overwhelmingly positive reception of the Cutlass,

and it was highly demanded by both frontier militia units and civilians
alike. Now-former CEO Jan Dredge, along with seven aerospace
engineers who worked on the original Cutlass project, decided to
incorporate becoming Drake Interplanetary. Within five years the
company became the fifth largest spacecraft manufacturer and the
Cutlass became one of the most common ships in the verse.

Drake has made countless additions and revisions to the Cutlass since
its inception, but the 101-year old chassis is showing its age as
competitors flood the market with updated ships.

Which brings us to the 2948 Cutlass Black. This years model isnt just a
new number its a completely new ship. Make no mistake though: fans
will still recognize the distinctive silhouette, and its capabilities have
been thoroughly upgraded. With the new Cutlass Black, Drake
Interplanetary has once again proven they build starships for the way you
live.
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Drake Interplanetary has yet to release the complete

specifications for the 2948 Cutlass Black, but after an extensive
tour and test flight, its safe to say they arent exaggerating about
how much has changed. In an effort to maintain the spirit of the
original Cutlass, the company focused on three core tenets to
shape their design: Fight, Board, and Carry.

While Cutlasses can be configured for dozens of different tasks,

they all have an uncanny ability to fight especially when
considering their unwieldy size and transportation capabilities.
The rear half of the ship may look like it belongs to an oversized
freighter, but the Cutlass clearly displays its heavy fighter heritage
up front.

Previously, a size-3 (S3) weapon hardpoint was mounted under

the nose and both wings. The 2948 model has relocated and
bolstered the Cutlasss firepower by adding an additional S3
weapon hardpoint to the hull amounting to an imposing arsenal
of six S3 weapons when including the manned turret.

Drakes state-of-the-art T89 precision interface offers refined

control over the updated turret platform, which has also been
reinforced with DIVOX armor plating to provide maximum
protection for the operator. While identical to the turrets found on
the Caterpillar the Cutlass is only rated to support dual size-3
weapons, rather than size-4.

The Cutlass Black also carries a total of twenty-four size-1

missiles divided between two new top-rear shoulder racks
compared to the sixteen size-1s that could be equipped on the
original two belly-mounted racks.

Although you typically wont find one at the frontlines of a

military engagement, the Cutlass has been known to tango with
anything from Vanduul Scythes to Super Hornets. Thanks to its
flexible nature, simple maintenance, and combat capabilities, the
Cutlass has become the frontier militias ship of choice for
standard patrols and the 2948 model solidifies that position.
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One of the more controversial design choices this year involved The Cutlasss rear ramp is now equipped with an atmosphere
the complete removal of the Cutlass Blacks docking collar. Many shield, allowing the cargo bay to be opened in space without
critics were curious how a ship is supposed to perform boarding decompressing the ship. A new set of EVA doors have also been
actions without a collar, and how its removal may negatively affect added to both the port and starboard sides of the cargo bay,
the Cutlasss other role capabilities. allowing the crew to quickly transfer items or personnel from the
most optimal direction.
Drake Interplanetary representatives were quick to point out that
the various proprietary docking collar designs throughout ship The Cutlasss tractor beams have proven useful for many of its
manufacturers has resulted in very few that are actually compatible
roles, including search & rescue, salvaging, policing and more
with one another for ship-to-ship docking. This meant that theseinfamously, piracy. Their forward mounting locations have been
collars can rarely perform their intended purpose and more often
repositioned to a pair of conspicuous arms protruding from the front
than not are mainly used as glorified EVA hatches. wings. Drake claims this equipment will effectively stabilize free-
floating ships so that crews can safely perform EVA boarding
With that knowledge in mind, the engineers at Drake took actions. A third tractor beam is still located under the tail of the ship,
inspiration from the renowned Teravin Prowler, and designed the and mainly intended to steady and pull objects towards the cargo
2948 Cutlass Black to focus on EVA boarding. bay for retrieval.
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While it may not be a traditional method, Drake Interplanetary has ensured that crews of the 2948 Cutlass Black are fully
capable of boarding any type of ship, without relying on a compatible docking collar to do so.
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Seen carrying everything from standard freight to equipment,
people, and even small vehicles the Cutlass Blacks cargo bay has
undoubtedly been one of the most influential features leading to its
success in the civilian market. The original design successfully
merged a heavy fighter with a light freighter, producing a ship that
combines the best traits of each under ideal conditions.
Due to these unique attributes, Cutlasses have been retrofitted
into dropships by militia units for decades, but now that
functionality has been added into the base ship without sacrificing
any cargo space. Six new jumpseats are located near the rear ramp,
allowing Drake to offer a more versatile alternative to Aegiss
standard dropship, the Vanguard Hoplite.

Without any cargo weighing it down, the Cutlass can pose a
considerable threat to fighters or mid-sized ships that stray into its
field of fire, but it loses its high maneuverability while carrying heavy
cargo. Instead, when fully loaded, the Cutlass acts as an armored
transport, packing an intimidating array of protection and
incidentally creating a lifelong rivalry with the MISC Freelancer.
The cargo bay itself has been totally remodeled, complete with
Drakes new standard aesthetics and magnetic cargo plates. Inside,
the vertical clearance has nearly doubled, turning the previously
cramped interior into a dimly lit but proper cargo zone, capable of
safely securing up to two Dragonflies or similarly sized vehicles
along with any type of freight that fits.

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If you need protection and transportation in an affordable package the 2948 Cutlass Black has your back.
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The cargo bay isnt the only section adding new features to
the interior. The cockpit cabin has been completely redesigned
into functional crew quarters. No more sleeping in the cargo bay
this relatively spacious area includes two beds, two suit
lockers, five personal storage compartments, four gun holsters,
and emergency supplies for your safety.
Access to the manned turret has also been moved into the
cabin, with an airlock hatch separating the turret itself from the
crew quarters. The similarly airtight door leading to the cargo
bay ensures that the flight crew wont be disrupted by
decompression during normal operations.
While the Cutlass can transport up to nine people at a time, it
only has amenities for two full-time crew members, and isnt
intended for long-term travel with a full ship. Drake further
hinted at this by removing the toilet from the Black model, so
be sure to pack a bucket and wipes for lengthy flights.
As a result of Drake Interplanetary streamlining their
manufacturing process, the remodeled Cutlass shares most of
its internal parts with other ships in the companys lineup. The
crew has direct access to several vital components from inside
the ship, allowing them to perform limited repairs while in
flight, and making maintenance easier than ever.

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The last notable change to the interior is in the

cockpit, where Drake has added a somewhat
unique piloting system. The sliding chairs of the
old Cutlass have been replaced with a hydraulic
lift that raises the flight seat up into the canopy.

While it may look awkward, the results are

efficient: the time required to slide into place and
start up the ship has been cut in half, and the
elevated position offers a view only surpassed by
the original Cutlass.

The pilot seat borrows the multifunction

display setup from the Caterpillar, offering
extensive monitoring and control over every ship
subsystem. The Copilot has additional controls
for utilizing the ships weaponry and tractor
beams, but not flight navigation.

And finally, yes, the cockpit fan is still there

(with its own upgrades, of course!)
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The exterior of the 2948 Cutlass may still somewhat resemble
that of the original, but its received just as many changes as the
interior. The entire hull has been thickened, and the vertical
height has increased to accommodate the size of the cargo bay.
For weaponry, as pictured above, the integrated missile racks
are located in the top-rear of the ship near the main thrusters,
while the four gun hardpoints are located on the top sides of the
hull and underneath the wings. The wings themselves have
been significantly enlarged, increasing their durability over the
previous design. The landing gear has been removed from
inside of them, and instead a new claw-like set has been placed
underneath the nose. The enlarged winglets act as stabilizers
for landing in rough, uneven terrain commonly found in the
frontier.
The trademark oversized main thrusters still remain, but the
rest of the thruster configuration has been totally altered. The
center-mounted trash can thrusters have been removed to
make way for the new EVA doors in the cargo bay, and the retro
thrusters are integrated into the mains which now only rotate
to provide VTOL capability. You heard right the spinning
thrusters that have plagued the Cutlass with technical issues
since they were introduced have finally been fixed.
The maneuvering thrusters have taken a similar setup from
the Buccaneer and completely cover the ship from front to
back. Twenty-six fixed maneuvering thrusters dot the Cutlass in
various locations, a stark increase from the original fourteen.
This has allowed the larger Cutlass chassis to retain its agility
with a more precise and instantaneous response from the
thrusters.
The new locations of the thrusters, weaponry, and equipment
also help increase the Cutlasss resilience. Losing a few
maneuvering thrusters doesnt completely cripple the ship, and
losing a wing doesnt remove its ability to land after a fight. The
integrated missile racks are less likely to be hit by incoming fire,
and with the gun hardpoints spread out, youll only risk losing
one weapon at a time. In combat conditions, the EVA doors
allow troops or personnel to disembark in the safest direction,
and the massive winglets help protect the canopy from ground-
based flanking fire during the process. The Cutlasss shield also
provides protection to the interior of the cargo bay while the
ramp or doors are open, although crews should be wary of
heavy ballistic fire.
This is far from a complete list of everything thats changed with
the new 2948 Cutlass Black, but its clear to see that Drake
Interplanetary has entirely redefined their original ship series in
a way thats sure to win the hearts and minds of Cutlass lovers
both new and old. Stay tuned for the full details once the Cutlass
Black is properly released to the public and also for what fate
awaits its legendary variants: The Cutlass Blue and Red.
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ATTENTION CUTLASS OWNERS:

Beginning with the release of the 2948 Cutlass Black, recalls will be issued for all older models. Drake Interplanetary has
completely retrofitted all licensed ship factories during this transition, and consequently, will no longer officially produce or
support older Cutlass Black models. However, current Cutlass owners may trade in their ship for a brand-new 2948 Cutlass at no
cost to them. Thanks to our customers continued loyalty, Drake has made record profits with every new year, and this is just one
of many ways wed like to show our appreciation. For those who wish to keep their older ships, we apologize for any
inconvenience this may cause, but our representatives will gladly assist you in every way possible. As always, thank you for
continuing to fly Drake.

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