Light shuttle idea – basically a lot smaller than a Lambda but with roughly similar internal cabin capacity. Suitable for utility tasks and for deployment off smaller ships that cannot handle the very volume-intensive Lambda variants. Original basic layout from the following, with my own twist and obviously different detail work:
http://www.galacticempire.org/2013/04/star-wars-type-7b-prowler-shuttle.html
Why did the Empire need these when it had those well-armed Deltas?
Personally, I want this to become a bomber. That long fuselage just seems made for a concussion missile bay.
Because Deltas are enormous and can’t fit in a lot of small ships. Plus there’s such a thing as overkill. For moving personnel and light cargoes around, you don’t need or want a high end ship.
That much-reduced upper fin is a decent first step, though now I’m pondering just what benefits said surface lends Lambdas/Sentinels/Starwings in the first place (extra generator and/or heat-sink space? Atmospheric maneuvering aid?). Also digging the neatly-blended fuselage.
I think the wings are all heatsink, since they don’t form airfoils at all for lift. Lambdas use a lot because they are actually quite high end ships – very well armed and shielded. Possible minor repulsorlift function as well, but mostly heatsink. Lambdas use a lot of volume since they have a large height requirement, so there’s really a need for a small shuttle with an airlock (it’ll be in the back on this ship) that can service small craft like Vigils for instance.
I also recall that they help with shield projection (ex. the Emperor’s shuttle from Revenge of the Sith)
Fair-sounding supposition re: wing heatsinks, though I’d be tempted to delete the Lambda’ & Starwings’ dorsals & slap on a twin or quad-laser turret for extra upper-arc coverage. Ep 7’s Upsilon class might’ve compensated for said deletion with those huge honkin’ wingsies, though I can’t say the minimal guns or brick-shaped fuselage do a thing for me.
There’s so many WWII bomber cockpits in that one cockpit that I could spend 3 hours typing them all out, luf ut.