Sales Pitch:

Created by Drake Interplanetary in 2920, the Drake Cutter was a ship made for the working-class people. An updated model was announced at IAE 2952 at New Babbage in Stanton. Standing at 3 Nine-Tails tall, 10 Nine-Tails Long, and 6.5 Nine-Tails wide (or 6m tall, 20m long, and 13m wide for those who do not use the Pyro metric system); the Cutter is a diamond in the rough for Citizens starting out on their adventures in the stars. A no frills ship from the exterior, the Cutter is surprisingly robust in the ways that it can be utilized. Designed for a 1-person crew, the interior features a small sleeping cabin, equipped with a single bunk, internal storage for personal items, and a bathroom for when that last Chile Verde burrito from the Burrito Bar on Modern Icarus Station creates a situation while you are in quantum.

Moving to the cargo area, the Cutter has a single ramp entry point, allowing for ease of loading cargo. The cargo area can hold up to 4 SCU making it a suitable entry point for people interested in cargo hauling. In addition, the Cutter has 650k μSCU of internal storage for your personal belongings, minable crystals, or other loot which may or may not have come from that Nine-Tails in that last bunker. The single access point, and high level of armor, makes the Cutter easily defendable from boarding actions as well as suitable cover in a gun fight in Pyro.

The cabin consists of a single pilot’s chair and a cohesive blending of analog switches and digital displays that are the trademark of all Drake ships. From this command center, you can take the action to the enemy with the Cutter’s two Size 2 guns or soften the enemy up while you close in by launching one of the missiles from the two Size 2 missile hardpoints. Directly behind the pilot is a small storage area for your repair kit* and primary personal weapon for defending against boarders.

When it comes to speed and maneuverability, the Drake Cutter flies like a minivan seen in the historical records of old Earth. Rated for a Space Combat Maneuvers (SCM) speed of 160 m/s, the Cutter can quickly get you to where you need to be in space or Atmo. Even though the Cutter weighs in at 70,000kg, it achieves great maneuverability at low speeds thanks to 12 maneuvering thrusters and the ability of the main engines to rotate 90 degrees in VTOL mode. However, this maneuverability is quickly lost when flying at higher speeds, such as the Cutter’s max speed of 1,050m/s. Many a pilot’s life has been saved by the extensive armor, and retractable cabin blast shields, when they were not able to stop or maneuver out of the way of an approaching asteroid when traveling above SCM.

These factors, and the low, low cost of 675,000 aUEC at New Deal in Lorville, makes the Cutter the perfect ship for Citizens beginning their journey to the stars. For new Citizens visiting from a distant reality, the Cutter Starter pack can be purchased for $60 USD, or for $45 USD as a standalone ship.

*Note: Repair kit consisting of duct tape, multi-tool with salvage/repair attachment, and assorted self-sealing stem bolts available for an extra fee on purchase.

Would you like to know more?

Sources:

1. The Cutter - Roberts Space Industries | Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42
2. Drake Cutter - Roberts Space Industries | Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42
3. Cutter - Star Citizen Wiki
4. Cutter - Galactapedia (robertsspaceindustries.com)
5. (533) IAE 2952: Part 1 - YouTube