DOUBLET CORVETTE

     Craft:  Operion CRV-85 Doublet Class Corvette
     Type:  Multi-purpose mid sized vessel
     Scale:  Capital
     Length:  185m
     Skill:  Capital Ship Piloting; doublet
     Cost:  7.8 million credits
     Crew:  148
     Passengers:  up to 2,000 troops
     Cargo Capacity:  up to 13,000 metric tons
     Consumables:  1 Year
     Hyperdrive Multiplier:  x2
     Hyper Backup:  x14
     Nav Computer:  Yes
     Maneuverability:  2D+1
     Space:  6
     Atmosphere:  330; 950 KPH  
     Hull:  4D
     Shields:  3D
     Sensors:
          Passive:  40/1D
          Scan:  80/2D
          Search:  100/3D
          Focus:  5/4D
     Weapons:  
     16 Medium Plasma Cannons
          Scale:  Capital
          Fire Arc:  4 Each.
          Crew:  2
          Skill:  Capital Ship Gunnery
          Fire Control:  3D

          Space Range:  3-10/30/65
          Atmosphere Range:  6-20/60/130km

          Damage:  5D+1
     16 Quad-Laser Cannons
          Scale:  Starfighter
          Fire Arc:  4 Each.
          Crew:  2
          Skill:  Capital Ship Gunnery
          Fire Control:  2D+1
          Space Range:  1-3/12/25

          Atmosphere Range:  100-300m/1.2/1.3km
          Damage:  5D+1
     8 Light Blaster Emplacements
          Scale:  Speeder
          Fire Arc:  2 Each.
          Crew:  2
          Skill:  Capital Ship Gunnery
          Fire Control:  2D
          Space Range:  3-10/40/80
          Atmosphere Range:  3-10/40/80km
          Damage:  8D+1

     Originally designed as a dedicated medium fighter carrier,
the Doublet Corvette has seen service in a number of different
configurations.  Generally used as a fighter carrier, a troop
transport, or a dropship, the corvette is also capable of serving
as a freighter or an exploration craft.
     The most unique aspect of the ship is it's form: essentially
a pair of structures held together by thick pylons.  The top
section holds the bridge, crew quarters, and the main cargo hold,
and the bottom section holds the engines, powerplants, shield
generators, computers, and other engineering sections.  The
plasma cannons are mounted on the upper surface of the upper
section and the lower surface of the lower section, and all the
other weapons are mounted around the central cavity.  The reason
for this configuration was to allow the fighters a few seconds of
heavy cover right after they leave the fighter bay (which opens
into the central cavity), and allows them to avoid any opposing
craft which would be able to pick them off, had they been
emerging from a more conventional fighter bay.
     When starfighter scale hyperdrives became the standard,
Operion's sales of the corvette dropped off sharply.  In order to
revitalize the line, they made a few improvements, including the
installation of atmospheric thrusters.  Once the ship was capable
of atmospheric flight, a whole new mission profile applied, and
the Operion Corvette pushed the then standard Duese Pound
Dropship clear out of the ground assault market.  Ground assault
vehicles benefitted tremendously from the early cover that the
internal space granted them, and the ground level medium plasma
cannons could lay down a field of fire that would discourage
enemy infantry units from coming within range of the assault
craft.  The only problem with the ship as a dropship was that
infantry units couldn't get to the ground very easily, but a few
Fastdrop APCs solved that problem quite well.
     The Doublet corvette remains the standard dropship of the
Yaeger Nation, although it's primacy is being challenged by such
craft as the Quicksilver and the Groundbreaker, new dedicated
dropships that build on the doublet's advantages while making use
of other, more sophisticated innovations.