Rebel Corellian DP Series Corvettes 03

Here are my DP corvettes, the DP10 and DP20. The two most successful vessels in the DP series line. These ships are built and textured by me, I did use a number of references to them them right and I discovered during my research there were two designs both as the DP20. I always preferred the more cylinderal design so the other design I decided to use as an earlier version named the DP10. I did this as the DP10 design looked a more more like the Corellian CR series corvettes, and the original pre-production sketch made back in the 70's for the Corellian Corvette.

SOme background on the designs:

Corellian DP10

The first of the DP series line, the DP-10 as with all DP series vessels were produced as a more heavily armed version of the CR series Corvette. Unlike the corvette, the gunships of the DP line were designed for combat and more specifically to be used for countering pirate raids which was becoming increasingly difficult during the Clone Wars. The need for such a ship arose in the outer Republic sectors during the war when smaller government bodies not only had the threat of potential Separatist attacks but also pirates, whom in the past were dealt with by Republic Judicial Forces and Jedi were now being given thanks to the conflict free reign in the less important Republic sectors. Many of the interplanetary governments in these areas recognized the need for a fast, heavily armed ship that could patrol their relative sectors, and respond to threats with equal or greater force, a ship that they operated themselves rather than calling on and ultimately not getting any Republic assistance.

Unlike the CR series the DP-10 had absolutely no luxuries of any kind, limited cargo space and no hangar to house a starfighter or shuttle. In fact the most attractive attribute to this vessel is its cost. Unfortunately, the rather cheap cost was also apparent in it's construction with many of the components used are somewhat dated. The communications suite and navigational systems are only second generation, and tend to require very skilled officers to make up for this shortcoming. The DP-10 gunships seem to be plagued with a number of defects in engineering, a common problem with the first build of any type of craft. One common problem is the cabling from the power generator to the laser cannons. The cable is of an insufficient gauge, causing occasional laser failure at inopportune times. Also the missile launchers were mounted right above the main engines and a lucky shot by a adversary had often crippled the ship to a point that it wasn't even worth salvaging after the battle had ended.

That is not to say that these ships are ineffective. Many upgrades were offered by the CEC and many planetary governments did their own upgrades in an attempt to fix these problems, while some were successful other problems couldn't be fixed and so the DP-10 was a rather limited run vessel with only a couple hundred produced.

Today most are actually found in the hands of pirates, the very criminals they were designed to combat. Despite it's flaws, the DP-10 has earned a reputation that many other CEC designs have been given that of reliability and adaptability and many have been responsible for the difference between a successful raid or a hollowing defeat.

Corellian DP20

The DP series of gunships seems to be one of the most popular capital ships in the galaxy among smaller planetary states and governments. The DP-20 is the real jewel in the line. Produced as a replacement to the DP-10, the DP-20 solved a lot of problems in the design. The original design had significant limitations when engaged by larger ships. The refit offered by CEC for the DP-10 was an attempt to remove some of these limitations, and was partially successful. The DP-20 was ultimately the CEC's attempt to bring back confidence in the DP series, a move that proved fruitful. Re-designed from the ground up, unlike the DP-10, the DP-20 had every little in common with the CR series in terms of it's design. While the DP-10 used many components found on the CR series to cut costs, the DP-20 used all new high grade components. This also increased the price but it's effectiveness and reliability never came into question.

While an effective capital ship and anti-fighter platform the DP-20 is vulnerable to massed fire, they have been grouped together as squadrons, and used effectively to perform large scale bombing runs using their concussion missile launchers. In large battles, the real advantage of the DP-20 is her size and her speed. She is small enough to remain almost unnoticed, allowing her to perform sneak attacks. Unfortunately, that tactic has been used enough that experienced commanders have started to target them first just to remove that option.

The real place for this gunship is chasing pirates, patrolling remote sectors, and even convoy security. For these reasons, she has become popular with a large number of groups throughout the galaxy. Gunships have also become popular with travelling dignitaries because of its ability to both take and give punishment. Also, its sub-light speed allows it to flee if necessary and the Rebel Alliance has used them to great effect in their conflict with the Empire, so much so that sales for the DP-20 have increased drastically. Many Imperial Patrols automatically intercept and board DP-20 Gunships due to them being so recognised with the Rebellion they sometimes forget that the craft is available on the open market.

Nevertheless, the DP-20 finds itself firmly planted in the history of our galaxy, and will likely be a common sight for generations to come.