View source for Drake Interplanetary

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'''Drake Interplanetary''' is a [[Human]] spacecraft manufacturer that designs, manufacturers and sells spaceships in the ''[[Star Citizen]]'' universe. It is headquartered in [[Odyssa]], [[Borea]], [[Magnus system|Magnus]]. It is the fifth largest spacecraft producer in human space. Drake was founded in [[2845]] by [[Jan Dredge]] to produce the [[:Category:Cutlass series|Cutlass]] medium fighter for militia use. Drake has cultivated its image since then to appeal to those seeking less conventional designs.<ref name="galactapedia">{{Cite RSI|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/galactapedia/article/RLMm9KeZed-drake-interplanetary|text=Galactapedia: Drake Interplanetary}}</ref> Their ships have a characteristically robust and geometrical design that utilizes many low-tech materials. Drake's target group also includes militias and pirates. The former CEOs [[Jan Dredge|Jan]] and [[Jon Dredge]] cultivated the outlaw image from the beginning of the company, which raised controversies about Drake's responsibility for pirate-related crimes.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite RSI|url=comm-link/transmission/15821-Around-The-Verse|text=Around the Verse - Trouble at Drake|trx=around-the-verse-trouble-at-drake}}</ref><ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/d7szye/a_summary_of_star_citizen_live_all_things_lore/ A Summary of Star Citizen Live "All Things Lore"] - reddit.com, 09.2019, acc. 2019-10-03, source: [https://youtu.be/uuwOy8IslqU Star Citizen Live: All Things Lore (Youtube)]

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== History ==

=== Cutlass development ===

{{Cleanup|Should be edited to be less confusing; Incorporation and Cutlass development are mixed together and do not flow chronologically. See https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/13441-Drake-Interplanetary for source}}

Drake Interplanetary incorporated re-appropriated the [[Cutlass (series)|Cutlass]] as a civilian craft soon after having lost a [[UEE]] "contest" in 2845. The purpose of the contest was to create a ship that could be constructed rapidly, to outfit distant home defense squadrons in times of need.

[[Jan Dredge]] became CEO, along with a seven-member board which consisted mainly of designers that had worked on the Cutlass. Drake was not the surname of anyone involved in the project; it was selected as an acceptable "smooth-sounding" name, chosen specifically in the hopes that it would make their spacecraft more appealing. This was the first of a series of money-over-all decisions that would quickly come to define the company.

The second decision was also telling: rather than incorporate on one of the UEE's traditional "homeworlds" like [[Earth]] or [[Terra (planet)|Terra]], Drake based itself in the economically embattled system of [[Magnus system|Magnus]]. Basing both corporate governance and key factories on [[Borea|Borea (Magnus II)]], Drake's outlaw image became well established before the first production model Cutlass left the factory floor.

The initial pitch was to provide ships to private militia groups. The plan was that private squadrons in more distant areas of the galaxy would welcome a low-cost spacecraft solution. Regions specifically classified high insurance risks, the Drake board reasoned, would especially welcome an easier way to replenish lost spacecraft.

Sales were phenomenal: within nine months, Drake had opened six offworld factories and had licensed dealerships in nine systems. In the year following, the company had quadrupled again. Within five years they were the fifth largest spacecraft manufacturing concern and couldn't license subsystems manufacturers quickly enough. The successful company was credited in financial magazines as the little engine that could — finally a competitor that would change how companies like [[Roberts Space Industries (manufacturer)|Roberts Space Industries]] and [[Musashi Industrial and Starflight Concern|Musashi Industrial]] ran their businesses. From the numbers alone, it looked like everyone would be flying a Cutlass in ten years.<ref>{{Cite RSI|text=Galactic Guide: Drake Interplanetary|int=Comm-Link:Galactic Guide - Drake Interplanetary|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/13441-Drake-Interplanetary}}</ref>