Opaeti-Class Freighter
| Name: | Opaeti-Class |
|---|---|
| Type: | Light Freighter |
| Builders: | Consolidated Shipyards, Various |
| Operators: | Various |
| Completed: | Tens of Thousands |
| Lost: | Unknown Number of Losses |
| Length: | 120 m |
| Width: | 36 m |
| Height: | 30 m |
| Power Supply: | 1 x Orvieto Heavy Industries Dura Fusion Power Core |
| Sub - Light Propulsion | 1 x SSE Virgen-6 Ion Engine Array |
| Supra-Light Propulsion: | 1 x SSE 8-p supra-luminal drive core |
| Endurance: | Fuel for 18 lightspeed jumps, 3 months of provisions for the crew. |
| Crew: | 12 (minimum of 4) |
| Sensors: | 1 x AFS Elinye Sensor Suite |
| Armament: | None |
| Armor | None |
| Cargo Capacity: | 840 Tonnes (In Gravity); 1200 Tonnes (In Vacuum) |
A workhorse of Umbrian commerce, the Opaeti is a class of light freighter which has been in production for almost a hundred years. A modular design, it features a bulbous crew section at the front of the vessel and a boxy engine section at the rear, which are connected by a thin structure which can accommodate a number of different cargo modules.
Access to the rear of the vessel is achieved through a tight passageway running along the underside of the ship's thin neck. Measuring at only a meter and a half in height, most Umbrians have to crouch as they worked their way aft. Fortunately for everyone except the ship's engineer, there were few reasons to make the journey rearward, as the ship's crew quarters, restrooms and kitchen were all located in the front portion of the vessel.
While the Republic's Navy had ships of the class in their inventory at one time, it has since phased it out in favor of newer models. However, because it is cheap and easy to maintain, the class continues to serve as a mainstay of the Republic's short haul routes connecting Umbria and her various colonies.
Despite continuous modifications to try and keep the ship in line with more modern competitors, the class has begun to show its age, and the utility of its limited cargo capacity and speed has come into question.
The Opaeti is capable of attaching twenty-eight standard cargo contains in the gap between its forward and aft sections, or alternatively it can be fit with one of over a dozen different detachable cargo holds. The most common is an asymmetric octagonal model with three large bay doors on either side of the hold.
When picking up or delivering cargo in space, enterprising freight crews have found ways to increase the gross tonnage they can carry.
Several private shipyards have modified the vessels so that they can attach additional containers or another cargo bay module on the roof of the vessel's neck. Other less savory options include attaching magnetic clamps to the vessel's cargo modules which are used to attach additional containers. This latter method is technically legal, but highly dangerous, as the clamps can struggle to keep the weighty containers attached during faster than light travel.
As the Ascomanni War enveloped the Frontier, the Colonial Affairs Commission started to charter hundreds of these vessels to deliver aid to hastily assembled refugee camps. Before long, the sight of an Opaeti with a handful of prefabricated structures slung underneath would become common.
This proved to be expensive, as the vessels were not designed for extended trips. Fuel and maintenance costs surged, while the cost of chartering vessels skyrocketed as a new source of demand appeared. Losses began to grow, both from enemy activity and from accidents and mechanical failures.
Few dared to criticize the program though, as it exposed the challenges the CAC faced in getting the Senate to provide additional resources to support their efforts.
As the war intensified and the CAC was dissolved, larger and more capable ships, such as the Nagroc-Class, would finally be built in sufficient numbers to relieve the overburdened Opaetis. The light freighters would return to their primary role, far from the dangers of the Frontier.