Modifying a VCX-100 docking slot

[Hwayeez]

Looking for some brainstorming help...

My players are hoping to locate a VCX-100 (Rebels Ghost) with a docking slot modified to accommodate an X-Wing instead of a VCX-series auxiliary starfighter (Phantom). I have the plot device set up so they can recover such a ship from previously-encountered pirates who have modified it to dock a Z-95, and then Alliance techs can further modify it for an X-wing.

An X-wing is only a shade longer than the Phantom and a lot slimmer through the main hull, but the wings are much wider and there's no good way for the pilot (or astromech) to get into it from the back or bottom. I'm thinking maybe the s-foils of the X-wing have to open wider - or all the way to horizontal - to dock? And then add some kind of docking cowl that goes over the top to enable the pilot to get in - plus to enable some repairs and to disguise the fact that it's a docked starfighter.

Does it make more sense for the X-wing to dock facing in or facing out - or should it be able to do both like the Phantom? My players certainly wouldn't mind having an extra set of laser cannons and/or torpedo launchers covering the rear arc.

There will definitely be some suspension of believable engineering principles (this is Star Wars, after all), but any thoughts on other ways to make this make sense? Bonus points for invoking the rule of cool.

[Ray]

We've seen A-Wings dock against the Ghost's side docking ports and go into Hyperspace, X-Wings should dock there easily enough, too, eh?

[cheshire]

If there's no good way for the astromech and pilot to get in from the bottom, why not have the X-Wing dock with the bottom of the freighter? Either that or have them invert before docking with the top of the freighter. You can always "flip the gravity" somewhere in the docking area for them to make the transition.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Zarn]

I think inverted is likely the best way of doing that. Also, from the spindly design of the X-Wing as opposed to the rather ... nugget-like design of the Phantom attack shuttle, I want to have an extra joint to fold the wings even further, but that's likely just me.

Checking the lengths and widths on a VCX-100, the attack shuttle, and an X-Wing (at least a 65-B), it looks as if it should work. You might want to have some work done to the top of the VX-100 in order to properly support the inverted fighter, though.

An A-wing is perhaps more ideally shaped. Or, indeed, a couple of Eta-class fighters (both Eta-2 and Eta-5), or some Deltas (7, 8, 9), or something like a Fang fighter - the swiveling wings is the same as the cockpit pod swiveling when the fighter is docked, and that should make it easier to gain entrance to the VCX-100.

[Hwayeez]

Ooo, I hadn't thought about inverting before docking - great idea! That would also make it less obvious that an X-wing is docked. Thanks, all!

[Raven Redstar]

It should be easy enough to remove gravity from one little section loading into the fighter.
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[garhkal]