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SAVTec AC-34 Nimbus II Courier

I'll think of a witty line to go here later...

• 100% mod-free
  
• No Rotors, Pistons or Scripts.
  
• Nice neat control panel - everything named, grouped & hidden where appropriate
  
• Pre-configured hotbar for pilots seat.
  
• Ideal first large atmosphere-to-space vehicle
  
• Does not use Ion Thrusters - perfect for building on planets
  
• Practical & fun for new players & seasoned veterans alike!

The Nimbus II is another older design recreated from screenshots. The hull is an enlarged version of one by another author, who I can't credit because I can't remember what the original ship was called. If you recognise the shape & know the ship I'm talking about, please leave a comment so I can give credit & a link.
Nothing is directly copied - this is all my own work but I'd like to give credit for the shape all the same.

Like its name suggests, the AC-34 is an Atmosphere-Capable space-faring light cargo transport.

The AC-34 is propelled by a combination of Hydrogen & Atmospheric Thrusters, making her perfect for building on planets where Platinum for Ion Thrusters is hard to come by.

In space the AC-34 is extremely fast & manouverable for a cargo ship. Even in atmosphere she's pretty agile.
Like my other atmosphere-capable ships, she flies very much like a VTOL / VSTOL plane.

• 1x Large Reactor
  
• 4x backup Battery
  
• 2x Hydrogen Tank
  
• 2x Oxygen Tank
  
• 6x O2 / H2 Generators
  
• 4x Small Cargo Container
  
• 1x Cryo Pod
  
• 1x Antenna
  
• 1x Remote Control Block
  
• 2x Connector (1 ventral, 1 dorsal)
  
• 2x Interior Turret (on the dorsal hull for light point defence & use as spotting cameras)
  
• 2x Camera (forward & aft views)
  
• External Air Intake (for use in atmosphere so you don't use up your Oxygen reserves)

She crews one with cryo & a day bunk for one.
Her docking ring had to be streamlined to fit with the shape but it's still compatible with all my other ships.
Unfortunately there wasn't enough room to create a pressurised airlock, so a simple double-door arrangement had to do.

All the Hydrogen thrusters can be safely turned off in atmosphere - the ship is more than capable of staying airborn without them, providing it's flown properly.
I've grouped & hotkeyed the thrusters for you to make atmospheric transitions even easier.

For atmosphere-to-space launch, Innertial Dampeners on, all thrusters on, then toggle the Atmos off when you reach space. Toggle Hydro Thrusters on / off during ascent if you want to conserve Hydrogen further.

For space-to-atmosphere re-entry, aim at the centre of the planet, full speed ahead, Innertial Dampeners & all thrusters off til you hit the "bubble". Innertial Dampeners & Atmo thrusters on at around 10,000 Metres, then full power forward & pull up gradually...
... Or if you prefer to fly more like a stone than a plane, just aim at the artificial horizon & wait for the Innertial Dampeners to kick in.

Flying like a plane will make the AC-34 compatible with max speed mods. Flying like a stone will make it compatible with the ground where speed mods are used.
If you do use speed mods, reduce your speed to something reasonable before you enter gravity fields. The ship is powerful but it can't work miracles.

The more skilled pilots among you might care to toggle the large forward Hydrogen Thruster independantly while in atmosphere to pull up quicker from vertical dives & give the ship that "afterburny" feeling during manouvers.

I haven't tested the AC-34 on any non-atmospheric planets yet but in theory she should be capable of landing on them, provided she has full Hydrogen Tanks and plenty of Ice in reserve.

Please let me know how the ship performs for you if you decide to test it on planets with no atmosphere. Does she land ok? What if anything needs to be improved?

Comments / questions / suggestions / constructive criticism all very welcome.
I've even been known to do the odd request-build from time to time, so if you have an idea, drop me a line. If I like it I may build it.

If you like this build & want to see more, please check out my workshop pages
http://steamproxy.net/profiles/76561198064838288/myworkshopfiles/

For the ever-expanding SAVTec Industries collection click here...
https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1451430759&savesuccess=1