Conquering the verse, one parsec at a time.

Part of the game is travelling from one planet to the next, and for this, you need some form of spacecraft.

It is not necessary to actually have a model to represent this ship. Still, I am completely for doing the unnecessary whenever possible, so I set about making a 28mm spaceship to represent the ‘Worn Freighter’ we rolled out when generating our starting crew.

Thankfully, the 2nd Dynasty has a range of 3D printable 28mm Starships, for which I bought the STLs some time ago.

On a side note, my crew also come from the 2nd Dynasty, and I like the way that they have various poses of the same model, including sitting and lying models.   You will probably notice that I change from armed and unarmed models in some of the pictures.   It really just depends on which model we pick up to use at the time, as to which gets photographed.

Anyway, back on topic, the ship.

Cerberus Class 4 Freighter

General Specifications

Length 54m (180 ft)

Beam 13.5m (45 ft))

Depth 10.5m (35 ft)

Crew capacity 8

Decks 3

Auxiliary Craft 1 x Minnow Lander (6 passenger capacity)

Escape Pods 2

Overview

The Cerberus Class 4 Freighter is a versatile medium-haul cargo vessel designed for independent operators, frontier merchants, survey teams, and colony-support missions. Building upon the proven design of the Class 3, the Class 4 introduces enhanced safety features and greater operational flexibility while retaining the rugged reliability that made its predecessor popular throughout settled space.

The most significant improvement is the addition of two dedicated escape pods mounted within the upper deck. While this increases crew survivability during emergencies, the modification comes at the cost of reduced accommodation space.

Crew Accommodations

Unlike the Class 3, which offered individual crew cabins and additional guest quarters, the Class 4 adopts a more utilitarian arrangement.

The upper habitation deck contains:

• 4 crew cabins, each fitted with 2 bunk berths
• Accommodation for a total crew of 8
• 4 large storage rooms replacing the former guest quarters

While less luxurious than its predecessor, the revised arrangement provides significantly more internal storage capacity for long-duration voyages and colonial operations.

Internal Layout

Lower Deck

The majority of the vessel’s internal volume is dedicated to cargo operations.

Features include:

• Large central cargo hold
• Heavy-duty side loading ramp
• Vehicle and pallet handling space
• Access to the Minnow lander

The cargo bay occupies the central section of the vessel and can handle a wide range of commercial and industrial freight.

Main Deck

The forward section houses the ship’s command and operational facilities:

• Spacious bridge
• Situation room and briefing area
• Fully equipped galley
• Crew recreation and dining facilities

Beneath these areas lie the vessels:

• Main data cores
• Servo banks
• Primary control systems
• Communications and sensor processors

Together, these form the ship’s central nerve centre.

Upper Deck

The upper deck contains:

• Four bunk cabins
• Four storage rooms
• Two escape pods
• Access crawl spaces for maintenance

The layout is designed to maximise utility while ensuring rapid evacuation capability.

Engineering Section

Occupying the aft third of the vessel is a large engineering compartment built around the ship’s twin primary thrusters.

Features include:

• Full-height maintenance access
• Twin fusion drive assemblies
• Power distribution systems
• Environmental control machinery
• Tug Hauling Close Proximity Tractor Beam Arrays

The generous engineering space allows maintenance crews to service most major systems without the need for external dock facilities.

For those difficult-to-reach jobs, an Aft airlock is located between the main thrusters.

Minnow Lander

Every Cerberus Class 4 is delivered with a standard Minnow utility lander.

Capabilities include:

• Crew capacity: 6 personnel
• Surface-to-orbit supply runs
• Emergency evacuation support
• Survey and scouting missions

The Minnow allows the freighter to conduct operations on worlds lacking developed starport infrastructure, making it particularly valuable for colonial and frontier work.

I did have to modify the design of the original starship to include 2 escape pods and 4 large storage rooms on the upper deck.  To do that, I had to reduce the number of cabins on the upper floor.

The original plan was to have the escape pods nearer the front, but by placing them there, it weakened the integrity of the design, causing the fore section to dip down a little and creating a gap in the top of the build.

Finally, a picture of the model as it currently stands.  I may add a ship name to the front and possibly a logo of some sort.

As a little fun fact, Unit 57 was the name I gave to my little gang in Necromunda when it came out and it’s kind of stuck with me through multiple game systems.  You will often see 57 on my terrain builds.