Vulture

The Drake Vulture is a one-man salvage starter ship with plenty of on-board storage to help with salvage operations. It is designed for single-pilot salvage operations. It is even small and nimble enough to sneak into hostile areas unnoticed to recover fresh salvage.^[1]

Features

Scraper Beams

Dual integrated scraper beams use Drake’s patented Tomium system, developed with professional salvagers for the ultimate in speed and efficiency.

Integrated Tractor Rig

The Ripper’s claw is outfitted with an integrated Lariat tractor rig, designed specifically for the Vulture. This industrial grade tractor’s innovative proprietary beam configuration makes it more powerful than setups three times its size.

Cargo

The Vulture’s deceptively spacious interior bay can be anything you need it to be, from extra cargo space to your personal sanctuary of solitude, and all points in between.

Long Haul Capable

The Vulture eases the pain of lengthy travel, and the frequent dangers associated therewith, by providing a versatile combination of comfort and convenience. A full-size bunk employs a new composite mattress developed and tested by professional salvager's and haulers right here at Drake. When the going gets rough, you’re never more than a skip and a stumble away from the cockpit and command station.

Central Intuitive Control

With maximum visibility and vital ship systems at your fingertips, the Vulture puts you in command of any situation and ensures you’re ready for anything. You’re in complete control of navigation, defense, weapons, and the Vulture’s unique all-in-one utility arrangement

Specifications

Radar

1x

S1

Surveyor-Lite

Industrial (C)

Cooler

2x

S1

Thermax

Industrial (C)

Life support

1x

S1

Life supportlfsp_tydt_s01_comfortair

Power plant

2x

S1

Fortitude

Industrial (C)

Self destruct

1x

S1

Self destruct (30s)

5,000 🗡️ · 50 m

Shield generator

3x

S1

Bulwark

Industrial (C)

Fuel intake

2x

S1

Fuel intakeintk_drak_vulture

0.01 SCU/s

Fuel port

1x

S1

Fuel portdockingtube_fuel_ports_drak_vulture

Fuel tank

2x

S1

Internal Tank

180 SCU

Quantum drive

1x

S1

Goliath

Industrial (C)

Quantum fuel tank

1x

S1

Internal Tank

0.583 SCU

Main thruster

2x

S4

Main thrusterdrak_vulture_thruster_main

5.24 MN

Maneuvering thruster

4x

S1

VTOL thrusterdrak_vulture_thruster_vtol

0.0457 MN

2x

S4

Retro thrusterdrak_vulture_thruster_retro

2.855 MN

12x

S1

Maneuvering thrusterdrak_vulture_thruster_maneuver

1.905 MN

Weapons

2x

S1

VariPuck S1 Gimbal Mount

Left, Right

2x

S1

CF-117 Bulldog Repeater

Klaus & Werner

2x

S1

Magazinefaux_magazinemagazine

375/375 Ammunition

Defensive devices

1x

S1

Joker Defcon - Noise Launcher

Right

1x

S1

Magazine

5/5 Ammunition

1x

S1

Aegis Gladius - Decoy Launcher

Left

1x

S1

Magazine

48/48 Ammunition

Utility devices

1x

S1

Salvage armdrak_vulture_salvage_arm

Right

1x

S1

Salvage armdrak_vulture_salvage_arm

Left

2x

S2

Baler Salvage Head

Greycat Industrial

1x

S1

ReadyGrip Tractor Module

Greycat Industrial

1x

S1

Abrade Scraper Module

Greycat Industrial

2x

S1

Cinch Scraper Module

Greycat Industrial

Cargo grid

1x

S1

Cargo griddrak_vulture_cargogrid_main

12,000 SCU · L 3.75 m x W 2.5 m x H 2.5 m

Personal storage

1x

S1

Personal storagepersonalstorage_drak_vulture

650,000K µSCU

Weapon rack

1x

S1

Weapon Rack

Armor

1x

S1

Personal armor

Filler station

1x

S1

Filler stationsalvagefillerstation_drak_vulture

Fire extinguisher

1x

S1

Fire extinguishergadget_cabinet_kegr_fire_extinguisher_ng_flipped

Vehicle part

1x

S1

Tail

2,400 ❤️

1x

S1

Main engine (right)

2,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Main engine (left)

2,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Nacelle right (front)

5,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Debrisproxy salvage arm (right)

4,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Nacelle left (front)

5,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Debrisproxy salvage arm (left)

4,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Body

12,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Drone

200 ❤️

1x

S1

Body (tail)

7,000 ❤️

Model

Ship profile

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear	Below

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear	Rear Isometric

Paints

"Assembly"	"Best in Show 2953"	"Carbonide"	"Carnival"	"Deck The Hull"	"Dying Star"	"Foundation Festival"	"Ghoulish Green"	"IceBreak"	"Longhorn"	"Pyrite"	"Skullcrusher"

Acquisition

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Lore

On the 9th of August, 2895, the freighter "Empire Slipper", registered under the Terra flag, experienced critical system malfunctions that led to erroneous navigation displays. This caused the navigation officer to plot a course through a dense asteroid field near a red giant star, resulting in a collision that disabled the ship's shields and exposed the crew to lethal radiation. The ship's location became unknown while it carried valuable metals and rare artworks, drawing significant media attention and prompting an extensive search. After eight months, the wreckage was found by a UEE Navy picket ship in a highly irradiated debris field, dispelling conspiracy theories about hijacking. Unfortunately, the area was nearly inaccessible for conventional salvage vessels.^[2]

In response to the challenge, Drake Interplanetary, a new spacecraft manufacturer, offered support. Motivated by potential salvage rights and a ten million credit bounty from MISC, the ship's original builder, a specialized team gathered on Borea to devise a solution. They modified an AS-1 Cutlass prototype, the Vertical Landing Test 3 (VLT-3), by removing its testing equipment and converting it for debris recovery of the "Slipper." The VLT-3 featured enhanced shield generators that reduced cargo capacity but improved shielding and agility for its two-person crew. Its external manipulator arms allowed for salvage operations without extravehicular activity, minimizing risks from hazardous radiation.^[2]

Fourteen months after the "Empire Slipper" disappeared, Drake's test crew began salvage operations from a modular space station outside the hazardous zone. Over thirty-six missions, the VLT-3 navigated the debris field, retrieving flight recorders and cargo containers. Drake secured salvage rights and transferred the flight recorders to MISC, but the company faced legal issues after duplicating the flight data before submission. Despite the controversy, the mission improved Drake's reputation amid piracy allegations.^[2]

After a successful salvage operation, Drake launched a public relations tour for the VLT-3 at aerospace exhibitions. However, controversy arose over allegations of his support for piracy following a coordinated attack with unmarked Cutlasses and a MISC Hull-D. In response, the company shifted focus to developing the Caterpillar command ship, putting the VLT-3 in storage.^[2]

In 2932, the Aegis Dynamics Reclaimer "General Dogsbody" had a highly profitable salvage mission, increasing interest in the field. Recognizing this demand, Drake's team evolved the VLT-3 into the Vulture, an independent salvage vessel featuring Rippers, salvage booms, and a Tomium scraper rig, while retaining key aspects of the VLT-3.^[2]

Officially launched in 2938, the Vulture capitalized on public interest in salvage operations, leading to high demand that exceeded production capabilities and the establishment of remote manufacturing facilities. The Vultures successfully recovered high-profile hulls, boosting Drake's reputation and sustaining interest in the spacecraft.^[2]

In 2941, Drake launched a revised Vulture with improved weapon mounts for hazardous environments. In 2949, the civilian variant received an upgrade with a larger cab for increased cargo capacity, and Drake offers upgrade options for earlier models to enhance capacity and add new weapon mounts.^[2]

By 2943, the UEE Navy had requisitioned 300 units for battlefield support, primarily to clear wrecked spacecraft after Vanduul conflicts. Drake is developing a government-specific version in anticipation of increased naval confrontations.^[2]

Gallery

Development

2017-12-01	Introduced as an option for the next Drake ship to be developed in the vote "YOU Pick the Next Drake Ship" in 2017 Anniversary Special.^[1]
2017-12-11	Voted to be the next Drake ship by backers with 44% of 37,696 voters.^[1]
2018-06-14	Concept sale.^[3]
2020-05-30	During the 2950 Drake Defensecon, the ship was on display at the Riker Memorial Spaceport in Area18. It was represented by a downscaled holographic display of the model.^[4]
2021-05-05	Revealed that the Vulture was in production and to be implemented in game with an allocated work schedule of 18 weeks.^[5]
2023-03-10	Flight ready in Alpha 3.18.0, along with the first implementation of the salvage gameplay.^[6]

Role	Contributors
Original concept	Toby Lewin (first round), Alex Akstinas (second round)^[7]^[8]
Art	Paul Jones^[7]^[8]
Technical design	John Crewe^[7]^[8]

Aims & Aesthetic
Aims	Starter Salvage Ship – The one-man entry into the salvage career. Designed for small scale personal salvage via EVA and external processing rather than using the ship to salvage. Single utility mount on the front of the ship that houses the “scraper” laser which strips the surface of ships into a resource. Uses MultiTool and Salvage charges to break up wrecks and take individual components and loot rather than processing chunks of ship. Player can live long term on board with the basic accommodation, when finding wreckage they take their hand held Salvage tools from their internal storage to go recover valuable assets, these can be stored in the rear cargo hold, like a space pickup truck.
Aesthetic	Similar shape/styling to the other Drake ships, rough and ready Soviet-era style.

Specifications
Length	33 m
Width	16 m
Height	9 m
Mass	114,591 kg
Speed	165 m/s
Crew	1
Powerplants	1x Small
Shield	2x Small
Armor	Large
Weapons	2x
Thrusters	2x Small, 2x VTOL
Utility items	Scraper Beam, Tractor Beam
Cargo capacity	12 SCU

Trivia

The vessel derives its name from the Vulture, a sizable avian species belonging to the Accipitridae and Cathartidae families. This bird is closely related to hawks, eagles, and falcons, however, it possesses less robust talons and typically features a bare head. Vultures primarily or exclusively feed on carcases, otherwise known as carrion. ^[9]
The Vulture has some resemblance to the Venture ship in EVE Online. On 2018-06-14, shortly after the design of the Vulture was revealed, players and fans of EVE Online pointed out the similarity between the two ships and accused CI of copying the design on EVE's subreddit,^[10] while CI developers said that the ship was inspired by the Dragonfly.^[11] The rivalry escalated with redditors brigading both the EVE Online and Star Citizen subreddits, to the point that even EVE developer CCP tweeted about it.^[12]^[13]