These custom ESU ship variants were originally posted to a long-defunct site belonging to an old employer of mine, but the Wayback Machine and the fortuitous find of some some old images has let me bring them back from oblivion. Most of these are extremely simple kitbashes that anyone could do if you want to add some added variety in your ESU Full Thrust fleet. The basic models that were used here are still available through GZG over here, although the fighters have been replaced with new, remastered versions.
You can see the the stock builds (and a few rogue images of these kitbashes) over at my main ESU gallery.
ESU Pankov-class Strikeboat Tender
While officially designated as support craft for the ESU Frontier Exploration Program, the Pankov class armed tender is more often encountered in combat roles than in scientific ones. Rather than supporting squadrons of far-roaming scouts and survey vessels, they provide repair and replenishment facilities for the increasing numbers of Cossack-class strikeboats employed in the fleet. Built on a heavily modified Nanjing escort carrier hull, they retain the full armament of their parent class but trade the carrier's hanger bays for extensive fueling and maintenance equipment specialized for servicing smaller vessels.
TMF 102 (includes 21 Mass dedicated to fuel tankage, ammo stores, and repair parts for servicing small starships, as well as some surprising decent "guest rooms" for their tiny crews to get out of their flying coffins for a short break between missions)
NPV 293/CPV 257
Thrust 4 q 2 q
FTL q
Level 1 Screen q
2 Fire Control Systems qq
5 Class 2 Beam Batteries (F/FP/FS) q (F/FP/AP) q (F/FS/AS) q (All Arcs) qq
The mini below uses the main hull and side engines from the FT-239 battlecruiser, and the prow and tanks from the FT-262 fleet tanker, plus a bit of plastic tubing to make the aft replenishment couplings. Simple little kitbash, and the ship has enough combat ability to make life hard for light raiders striking at a fleet supply convoy or group of Cossacks with empty missile racks. The rearm/refuel/repair process is much too slow to complete during a battle, so the mass used for it is priced as for any non-combat equipment. If you're playing a campaign you'd want to increase the ship's cost a bit to reflect its utility for rearming strikeboats between battles away from base.
The Kamchatka-class battle carrier is a controversial design within the ESU fleet. A "jack of all trades" intended to provide both gunline and carrier capability on a single hull, it performs both functions somewhat poorly for its size and cost. The current admiralty favors more specialized and economical vessels and the class is likely to remain in strictly limited production for the foreseeable future.
TMF 142
NPV 489/CPV 465 + fighters
Thrust 4 q 2 q
FTL q
Level 1 Screen q
2 Fire Control Systems qq
6 Class 2 Beam Batteries (F/FP/AP) qq (F/FS/AS) qq (All Arcs) qq
The mini below uses the aft hull and side engines of the FT-245 escort carrier, the prow of the FT-29 battlescruiser, and the dorsal engine of the FT-240 battleship. The dorsal engine requires a bit of trimming to fit securely but it's a simple enough kitbash all in all. The parts required are a bit of a chore to accumulate, though.
Produced as a lower-cost alternative to the Changchun light carrier, the much smaller Sheng-Li retains a full four-squadron fighter group as well as respectable medium medium-range beam armament. The design is derived from standardized hull sections from both the Khalinov and Changchun classes, but the resulting ship is overstressed by its weapons payload and plagued by "minor" engineering issues problems, making it much less resilient than most ESU vessels.
TMF 147
NPV 508/CPV 412 + fighters
Thrust 4 q 2 q
FTL q
Level 1 Screen q
2 Fire Control Systems qq
5 Class 2 Beam Batteries (F/FP/FS) q (F/FP/AP) q (F/FS/AS) q (All Arcs) qq
The mini is created with a simple part swap attaching the FT-243 light carrier prow to the aft hull of the FT-240 battleship. This leaves you with parts required to build the FT-241 battledreadnought, making this an unusually efficient conversion.
Named for its chief naval architect, this class was built primarily in the Chiang Military District as an economical capital ship. They are "light" only in comparison to the massive Khalinov class, and along with the Pobyeda battlecruisers they provide much-needed numbers to the ESU battleline. The "light" designation also helped calm the Central Planning Committee on Earth regarding exactly what sort of empire-building was going on in the distant reaches of ESU territory, which is never a bad thing for ambitious colonial bureaucrats.
TMF 124
NPV 422/CPV 452
Thrust 4 q 2 q
FTL q
Level 1 Screen q
3 Fire Control Systems qqq
5 Class 2 Beam Batteries (F/FP/FS) q (F/FP/AP) q (F/FS/AS) q (All Arcs) qq
The mini below is kitbashed out of the FT-239 battlecruiser and FT-240 battleship. The two models share the same hull and side engines, and the Dewu Lo uses the battleship's dorsal engine and the battlecruiser's prow, with a bit of plastic tube to enlarge the central "gun barrel" a bit. This leaves you with a main hull/side engine set, the battlecruiser's dorsal pod, and a battleship prow for your bits box.
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