Star Citizen Clipper Guide: Specs, Cargo, MedBed, Weapons & Price
The Drake Clipper is a Size 2 generalist built around solo players who want one ship for several different jobs rather than a specialist for one career. Current Alpha 4.10 data gives it 12 SCU of cargo, one crew station, a Tier 3 medical bed, four Size 3 weapon hardpoints, eight Size 3 missile hardpoints, 19 stock missiles, and a compact 26.5-meter hull.
CIG's Clipper Q&A describes the ship as a single-occupant generalist with a full habitation setup, accessible components, medical facilities, cargo storage, and a crafting station intended to support longer trips away from a home location.
That breadth is the Clipper's main advantage. It can carry supplies or recovered cargo, fight when necessary, provide a local regeneration point under current medical mechanics, and support longer sessions away from a station. The main limitation is equally clear: it is a generalist, not a cargo ship, fighter, or medical specialist, and one of its headline features—the onboard fabricator—is still not implemented in Alpha 4.10.
Clipper Specifications in Alpha 4.10
| SpecificationCurrent Alpha 4.10 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Drake Interplanetary |
| Role | Generalist / Exploration |
| Size | S2 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 26.5 m |
| Width | 21 m |
| Height | 18 m |
| Cargo | 12 SCU |
| Maximum cargo-grid box size | 2 SCU |
| Medical | 1 × Tier 3 MedBed |
| Pilot weapons | 4 × S3 hardpoints |
| Stock guns | 2 × Mantis GT-220 + 2 × Omnisky IX |
| Missile rack hardpoints | 8 × S3 |
| Stock missile count | 19 |
| Shields | 2 × S1 INK |
| Total shield HP | 4,320 |
| SCM speed | 205 m/s |
| NAV speed | 1,000 m/s |
| Current vehicle-data MSRP | $150 |
| Lowest listed 4.10 in-game purchase price | 3,619,730 aUEC |
These values come from version-locked Alpha 4.10.0-LIVE.12519617 vehicle data. The same dataset lists one crew station, one T3 medical bed, the 12 SCU cargo grid, and its 2 SCU box-size limit.
The interesting part is not any single number. A 12 SCU hold is small beside a real hauler, two Size 1 shields do not make a combat tank, and a T3 bed does not replace a dedicated medical ship. The Clipper works because those systems coexist in a ship designed around one operator.
Can You Solo the Drake Clipper?
Yes. The Clipper is genuinely designed for solo operation rather than merely being flyable by one person.
Current Alpha 4.10 data lists one crew member and one total crew station. CIG also describes the ship as a generalist that allows its sole occupant to access multiple gameplay loops from a single chassis.
That removes one of the biggest compromises found on larger general-purpose ships: losing major weapon systems or operational stations simply because nobody else is aboard.
All four main guns sit in the current pilot weapon setup, while cargo, medical facilities and habitation do not require another player to become useful. The result is a cleaner solo proposition than buying a multicrew ship and accepting that part of its combat or support capacity will remain unattended.
There is still operational workload. You are the pilot, gunner, cargo handler and the person responsible for ship systems whenever something goes wrong. But the underlying layout does not force a second player merely to access the Clipper's defining features.
Cargo and Storage: Useful, but Not a Hauler
The Clipper has a 12 SCU cargo grid, and CIG explicitly describes that capacity as modest rather than suitable for dedicated hauling. Its intended uses include carrying supplies and keeping goods found during a trip, which fits the generalist role much better than trying to compete with purpose-built freight ships.
Current 4.10 data lists a 2 SCU maximum box size on the cargo grid. The current Star Citizen Wiki also notes that while the bay itself can physically accommodate a larger container, rear access limits the largest container that can be brought aboard normally to 2 SCU.
That changes how the 12 SCU feels in practice. Twelve SCU is enough for equipment, supplies, mission loot or a small opportunistic cargo load, but moving it as several smaller containers creates more handling than a bay designed around larger freight boxes.
The better way to view the Clipper's cargo capacity is as mission flexibility. You can leave port intending to explore or run FPS content and still have somewhere to place valuable cargo you encounter. If the purpose of the session is moving commodities for profit, a dedicated cargo ship makes better use of your time and hull size.
T3 MedBed and Long-Session Utility
The Clipper's Tier 3 medical bed is one of the features that most strongly separates it from ordinary small general-purpose ships. Current vehicle data confirms one T3 bed, while CIG describes it as a facility for treating the owner and serving as a regeneration location.
Under current medical mechanics, T3 beds can fully treat Minor injuries, stabilize Moderate and Severe injuries, and act as regeneration locations. RSI's current medical documentation gives Tier 3 beds a 50,000-meter regeneration range after the player has selected the bed as their regeneration point. Ship medical beds also require MedGel to function.
That makes the bed particularly useful for localized ground or FPS operations. If you are repeatedly working around the same bunker, wreck or surface site, a Clipper parked nearby can shorten recovery after a death and handle minor injuries without returning to a city or station.
The limits matter. A T3 bed does not fully heal Moderate or Severe injuries under current mechanics; those require T2 or T1 treatment respectively. Its 50 km regeneration range also makes it a local safety net rather than a system-wide mobile hospital.
The rest of the interior supports that same extended-session role. CIG lists accessible ship components, an armor closet, weapon storage and full habitation alongside the cargo and medical facilities.
The Fabricator Is Still Not Working in Alpha 4.10
The Clipper physically includes an onboard fabrication station, but crafting is not currently an operational Clipper feature in Alpha 4.10. The current Star Citizen Wiki marks the onboard fabricator as not implemented as of Alpha 4.10.0.
This is where current capability needs to remain separate from CIG's design plans. In the Clipper Q&A, CIG says the initial crafting implementation is intended to focus on smaller personal items, with a design that may allow materials to be loaded manually or sourced from the ship's cargo grid. Those answers describe planned functionality, not something owners can currently rely on.
For a buying decision today, value the Clipper based on what already works: its cargo, MedBed, habitation, storage and combat capability. Do not justify the purchase primarily around onboard crafting until that system actually reaches the live game.
Weapons and Combat Capability
The Clipper is not a dedicated combat ship, but its pilot has considerably more direct firepower than its utility-focused interior might suggest.
Current Alpha 4.10 data mounts four Size 3 guns: two Mantis GT-220 ballistic gatlings and two Omnisky IX laser cannons in the stock configuration. It also has eight Size 3 missile-rack hardpoints carrying a mixed stock loadout totaling 19 missiles. CIG's Q&A separately confirms four S3 weapon hardpoints and eight S3 missile hardpoints as part of the intended combat package.
Because the guns sit in the current pilot weapon setup, a solo owner does not sacrifice primary firepower by flying alone. The mixed ballistic-and-energy stock configuration also gives the ship useful flexibility without requiring an immediate refit, although the ballistic weapons introduce ammunition management during longer sessions.
Defense is more restrained. Current data gives the Clipper two Size 1 INK shield generators with 4,320 combined shield HP. That is useful protection for a small generalist, but it should not be read as evidence that the Clipper is intended to absorb punishment like a dedicated combat platform.
For PvE, the combination works best when combat is one activity within a broader session: clearing threats around an objective, taking opportunistic engagements or completing combat content that does not demand a specialist fighter. In PvP, a generalist hull with one pilot still has to manage positioning, weapons, countermeasures and damage without another crewmember covering a second role.
A Current Alpha 4.10 Durability Caveat
There is an important patch-specific issue when evaluating the Clipper's survivability.
CIG's Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.1 PTU Patch Notes 12625701 list a potential fix for the Drake Clipper taking no damage across most of its hull. That fix is part of 4.10.1 PTU testing rather than a confirmed characteristic of the current 4.10.0 LIVE build.
If a Clipper currently appears abnormally difficult to damage, that behavior should not be treated as intended defensive balance or a reason to buy the ship. Its longer-term combat value should be judged from its normal defensive systems and combat characteristics after the damage issue is resolved.
Flight, Wings and Hangar Behavior
Current data gives the Clipper a 205 m/s SCM speed and 1,000 m/s NAV speed, with pitch and yaw rates of 38 degrees per second and a faster 125-degree-per-second roll rate.
Its most recognizable physical feature is the pair of tall folding wings. CIG says the wings are not independently transformable during normal flight: the deployed horizontal position is the flight configuration, while the folded state is tied to the landing gear to provide sufficient hangar clearance. The ship also has no dedicated VTOL thrusters.
That means the visual transformation is primarily part of its landing and clearance workflow rather than another combat or travel mode. CIG also linked the wing design to control-surface behavior, so some of its intended atmospheric characteristics remain tied to continuing development rather than being a reason to assume fighter-like atmospheric performance today.
Clipper Price and In-Game Availability
Current Alpha 4.10 vehicle data lists the Clipper at a $150 MSRP. That is the current reference value in the vehicle data and should not be confused with a guaranteed always-available RSI standalone sale; pledge availability can change with events and store rotations.
For players who prefer earning ships in game, current 4.10 listings put the lowest purchase price at 3,619,730 aUEC from New Deal at Teasa Spaceport in Lorville. Other listed shops currently price it at 3,810,240 aUEC. Current rental listings range from roughly 90,493 to 95,256 aUEC, depending on location.
Renting is particularly useful before committing real money or several million aUEC. The Clipper's appeal depends heavily on whether you actually make use of the MedBed, interior and mixed-role flexibility; a player who only hauls cargo or only fights may find that a specialist fits their sessions better.
For third-party inventory, pricing and insurance options are separate from RSI's $150 vehicle-data reference value. View current Clipper availability at LTI Hangar.
Who Should Choose the Clipper?
The Clipper makes the strongest case for a solo player whose sessions regularly change direction. You may leave port for FPS work, collect cargo along the way, need a regeneration point near a surface objective and encounter combat before returning home. Few small ships combine all of those supporting systems without asking for another crewmember.
It is less convincing for players whose gameplay is predictable. A dedicated hauler will use its hull more efficiently for freight. A combat specialist can trade interior amenities for better combat performance. A dedicated medical ship makes more sense when treating other players is the actual objective instead of a backup capability.
The inactive fabricator is also a meaningful reason to wait if crafting is what attracted you to the ship. That feature belongs in the Clipper's future potential, not its current Alpha 4.10 value.
Clipper Alternatives
Cutter Rambler
The Cutter Rambler is the better direction if you primarily want a small Drake ship with habitation and low operating complexity. It gives up much of the Clipper's broader medical, cargo and combat package, but it is easier to justify if your priority is simply having a compact personal traveling ship.
Cutlass Black
The Cutlass Black makes more sense when cargo flexibility and moving larger equipment are more important than carrying your own medical facility. It also offers a more traditional optional-multicrew setup. The Clipper is the more self-contained solo package; the Cutlass is the more cargo-oriented utility platform.
Corsair
The Drake Corsair sits much farther up the scale. CIG itself describes the Clipper as occupying the size space between the Cutter and Corsair while serving a different generalist role. The Corsair suits owners willing to accept a larger ship and greater operating burden in exchange for substantially more cargo space, firepower and multicrew capability. The Clipper is preferable when remaining genuinely solo-friendly is the priority.
Is the Drake Clipper Worth It?
The Clipper's strongest argument is not that it dominates any one career. It is that one pilot can access a surprisingly complete set of useful systems without moving into a multicrew ship.
Twelve SCU gives you room for supplies and recovered goods. Four pilot-controlled S3 weapons let you handle your own fights. The T3 MedBed provides treatment and short-range regeneration under current medical mechanics. Habitation and personal storage make longer sessions practical. All of it sits in a 26.5-meter hull with one crew station.
The trade-offs are straightforward. Its cargo capacity is too small for serious hauling, its defenses do not make it a dedicated combat ship, T3 medical treatment has real limitations, and the fabricator remains inactive. Current 4.10 hull-damage behavior is also affected by an issue already being targeted in 4.10.1 PTU.
For a player who wants one compact solo ship for mixed gameplay, those compromises make sense. For someone who already knows exactly which career they intend to run every session, specialization will usually produce better results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cargo does the Drake Clipper have?
The Clipper has 12 SCU of cargo capacity. Current Alpha 4.10 data lists a maximum 2 SCU box size for the cargo grid, and CIG describes the hold as storage for supplies and opportunistic goods rather than a dedicated hauling bay.
Can you solo the Clipper?
Yes. Current data lists one crew member and one crew station, and CIG describes the ship as a generalist intended to let a sole occupant access multiple gameplay loops from one chassis. Its current primary weapon setup is pilot-controlled.
Does the Clipper fabricator work in Alpha 4.10?
No. The onboard fabrication station exists in the ship, but current Alpha 4.10 documentation lists it as not implemented. CIG's descriptions of producing personal items and using materials from the cargo grid remain design intent for future crafting gameplay.
Can you respawn at the Clipper's MedBed?
Under current medical mechanics, yes, provided the T3 bed has been selected as your regeneration point, remains functional, has sufficient MedGel and you die within its 50 km regeneration range. T3 beds fully heal Minor injuries but only stabilize Moderate and Severe injuries.
How much does the Clipper cost in game?
Current Alpha 4.10 shop data lists the lowest purchase price at 3,619,730 aUEC at New Deal in Lorville. Other current listings reach 3,810,240 aUEC, and the ship can also be rented at multiple terminals for roughly 90,493–95,256 aUEC.
