Regression
30 Apr 2020Kris Afron
I think that I may have been a bit premature in my previous log entry when I said "My first ship the Sidewinder, although it was a good start, was not really any good at anything". Because today's experience has proved this statement to be wrong, but at the time I leased that first Sidewinder it was very true. Then, back in the beginning, I had no experience and no access to engineers. Also I think for some roles it still holds true, it doesn't make a good trader, even if you just fill all the optional slots with cargo holds, it can only carry 16 tonnes of cargo. If you fit it out for combat, the defence and offensive capabilities are very low - you'd have to spend a lot of time running away or dying.But today I found a role that it is turning out to be quite good at - as a planetary explorer. For a bit of fun I decided to see what I could do with a Sidewinder in this role. I've ended up with this build ultimately "Planetary Exploration Sidewinder", but only after I'd used the original build to get to some engineers.
I started out with a 2A rated Shield Generator and a 1A rated fuel scoop, but decided to swap to a 1A Shield generator and a 2A Fuel Scoop because it was taking too long to do the fuel scooping and it was getting too hot as a consequence. Having put the build together at Shinrarta Dezhra and done as much remote engineering as I could I took it out on it's first flight trials to see some engineers and get the experimental effects sorted. Felicity Farseer, Broo Tarquin, Lei Cheung, The Dweller and Selene Jean in that order, (I swapped the shield generator and fuel scoop modules in between Broo Tarquin and Lei Cheung).
I still have to take it out on an exploration trial, but the journeys so far have been OK, the range is up to 32.44 ly unladen which is pretty good for a small ship like this, so it would probably take about 700 jumps to get to Colonia - a few days.
I named her "What? In This?"
Now where should I take her?
CMDR Kris Afron signing off. Fly in something small commanders.