Type: Heavy assault-gunship
Length: 29 meters
Span: 17 meters
Crew: 2, +2 relief crew & 20 troops
Weapons: 4 heavy pulse cannons, 8 medium pulse cannons, 4 missile launchers w. 20 rounds, 1 gravity well/warp tractor beam projector.
Engines: twin warp generators, 3 ion-plasma engines.

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The model:

1/48 scale scratchbuild.

The Crimson Fold's Barracuda-class Assault-Gunship

The Barracuda is a development of the tough and rugged ND-50 fast utility shuttle, but it is not a simple militarized adaptation. The Crimson Fold totally redesigned the ship from the ground up, creating a fast, heavily-armed, well-protected and versatile long-range weapons platform. Only the basic cockpit pod, main cabin, the dorsal engine pack and atmospheric wings remain recognizable from its transport heritage. The trio of engines in the dorsal power pod were replaced by substantially more powerful units. The Barracuda is not particularly agile, but the engine combination gives the gunship outstanding speed and acceleration for a ship of its size and mass, serving the Crimson Fold's "hit fast, hit hard" strategy extremely well. The Barracuda is faster than many starfighters.

The cockpit crew consist of pilot and weapons officer/navigator. A relief crew is normally carried for long missions in the main cabin. For assault missions, up to 20 shock troops can also be accommodated. The ND-50's aft cabin has been replaced by a massively powerful combination gravity well generator and warp tractor unit, allowing Barracudas to pull freighters out of warp and then tow them away at high warp speeds for capture.

The Barracuda's formidable weapons fit consist of two forward-firing heavy pulse cannons, four forward-firing medium pulse cannons, and two lateral turrets each with a battery of two more medium and one heavy cannons. Completing the arsenal are four missile launchers mounted in a housing at the front of the dorsal engine pack with a war-load of 20 missiles. The hull is heavily armored and protected by dual energy shields. It takes a sustained barrage to bring down a Barracuda. The nose of the Barracuda bristles with an array of sophisticated sensors.

The Barracuda has been so successful that the Crimson Fold's Crimelord has adopted a specially-fitted ship for her personal assault craft, replacing her aging "Juggernaut". The cockpit pod of her Barracuda has two additional seats behind the flight crew for herself and her Cyborg bodyguard. Her personal Barracuda is named "Juggernaut II".