{"data":{"id":17037,"title":"Portfolio: Casse Aerospace","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/17037-Portfolio-Casse-Aerospace","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/17037","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/17037","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Portfolio","images":[{"id":15964,"name":"Casse-Jump-Point-01.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/t70sjlcj2je40r\/source\/Casse-Jump-Point-01.jpg","alt":"","size":1953627,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-04-12T00:37:45+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/15964","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/15964\/similar"},{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"}],"images_count":7,"translations":{"en_EN":"This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 5.3.\nWhile Casse Aerospace bears the name of an engineering legend, the company itself has faded from memory for all but the most dedicated ship enthusiasts. Or at least that was the case for over a century until Anvil Aerospace resurrected one of Casse\u2019s designs and alongside it, interest in the man himself and the ships he built.\n\nAn Edleson Design Institute Hall of Fame inductee in 2902, Leonard Casse has earned a place in the annals of history as one of the top spacecraft visionaries of the Messer Era. While the general populace may wind up considering his creation of the Hurricane fighter the most enduring part of his legacy, his effect on the industry overall is not limited to that one design. Cited by ship design luminaries such as J. Harris Arnold, Silas Koerner, and Jules Parliegh as a prime source of inspiration, Casse\u2019s influence can be seen in many spacecraft being flown today. From the humble RSI Aurora to the mighty Anvil Hornet, several of the Empire\u2019s most popular vehicles can trace their lineage to Casse\u2019s unique vision.\n\nTaking Off\nHired fresh out of university, Casse began his career as a junior aerospace engineer for RSI in 2587, securing himself a position on the Starbright transport team. This simple and functional ship, often referred to as the Aurora\u2019s spiritual predecessor, had been redesigned for the 2590 model year release and was about to go into full production. Assigned to review the machining specs for the ventral hull piece before the manufacturing run began, Casse noticed that the updated nozzle placement, while adding fuel efficiency, was going to cause potentially dangerous additional stresses to the ship\u2019s frame. He promptly reported his findings to the Starbright\u2019s lead designer, only to be told that the effect was negligible and that he should trust the more experienced members of the team.\n\nUnsatisfied with that result, Casse took his report directly to the head of the company, CEO Thessaly Vanowen. Impressed with the young engineer, Vanowen ordered a separate independent team to audit the Starbright\u2019s testing results. Two weeks later, the project was completely halted for a total rework of the internal struts. The 2590 Starbright would now be released as the 2591, with Casse promoted to a full engineer on the team.\n\nHis rise after that was rapid. In 2595 Casse was named lead designer for the 2600 Starbright. RSI saw the new century as the perfect time to relaunch the Starbright and was hoping that Casse would be the ideal candidate to revitalize the aging ship line. He did not disappoint. Rebuilt from the ground up, the 2600 Starbright was praised for its innovative entry system and all-new custom IFCS that integrated flawlessly with the ship\u2019s thrusters for unmatched responsiveness. What was previously thought of as \u201cjust another transport\u201d became elevated to \u201ca flying experience that everyone should have the pleasure of enjoying.\u201d Even today, centuries later, collectors still covet the 2600 Starbright for their personal fleets. Perhaps what makes it so valued though, even beyond its quality, is that it would be the only ship Casse designed for RSI.\n\nA New Way to Fly\nAs soon as the assembly line began rolling out the ship he had labored on for close to four years, Casse announced at the beginning of 2599 that he would be leaving to start his own company. According to later biographers, Casse described his time at RSI as a constant struggle. From that first instance when his suggestions were passed over due to his junior status, he felt that good design was too often sacrificed in order to placate a hierarchical organization trying to justify its own worth. \u201cAs soon as you have a ship manufacturing company where almost half the people who work there have nothing to do with manufacturing ships, you\u2019re going to have problems,\u201d he would state in a later interview. He swore that the company he was building, Casse Aerospace, would be different. He would only hire a small team of people whom he could trust to do quality work at the standards he demanded, and then he would leave them to do it. Everyone\u2019s opinion would have equal weight, with all final decisions left to himself. It was unorthodox for ship manufacturing, but under the strong vision and guidance of Casse, the flat organization style worked.\n\nIt was 2604 when Casse Aerospace released its first ship, the limited-run Cosmo Sloop. A leisure craft with a focus on ease of use, the hull premiered the open circle signet and curved wings that Casse would use on all his future designs. The reviews of this cutting-edge craft were universally positive, but unfortunately the timing of the ship\u2019s release would prove to be its undoing.\n\nThe Second Tevarin War had begun the year prior and with enemy forces pushing their way through Humanity\u2019s defenses, the personal leisure craft market bottomed out. With all their fortunes riding on sales of the Cosmo, Casse Aerospace found themselves struggling to keep their fledgling company afloat and decided that the best course of action was to join the war effort.\n\nCalm Before the Storm\nThe Tevarin fleet had undergone significant tech upgrades during their exodus, and the UEE Naval forces were having a difficult time overcoming the new phalanx shields. In 2605, Navy officials called upon the Empire\u2019s ship manufacturers for a solution. Though he had never worked on a combat ship before, Casse knew that the credits such a lucrative contract would bring could save his company, and so he set about designing the solution to Humanity\u2019s current problems.\n\nAnalyzing battle footage of Naval forces engaging the Tevarin led Casse to the conclusion that trying to overwhelm the Phalanx shields was a losing proposition. The bulk of damage that the Navy was able to inflict occurred when a Tevarin was caught off guard. The goal of his design would be to increase the frequency with which those opportunities would occur and maximize the damage inflicted during them. To help his ship achieve this goal, he borrowed a page from the enemy\u2019s playbook. If the Tevarin were operating in teams of two, one pilot and one shield operator, his ship could also be manned by a team, a pilot and a turret gunner. The design he submitted to the Navy stood in sharp contrast to those submitted by industry leaders like Aegis, and it surprised many when the Navy granted a contract to the unusual contender. Casse Aerospace immediately began work on what would become the Hurricane.\n\nLaunched late in 2607, the Casse Hurricane suffered some setbacks during the testing phase. Though pilots liked the power-to-weight ratio and the extra punch its quad-turret offered, the high degree of coordination needed between the pilot and gunner had a very steep learning curve. Because of this, the Hurricane didn\u2019t enter active combat until 2609. While they were used to devastating effect in a few instrumental actions, the war ended shortly after their deployment in 2610.\n\nTrying to capitalize on the success of the Hurricane, Casse Aerospace used the goodwill they had garnered to win a contract designing a long-range patrol ship suited to guard the growing Xi\u2019an front. However, before that ship could be finished, Leonard Casse tragically passed away in 2615 after being involved in a deadly in-atmosphere collision. Reeling from the loss of their founder and leader, Casse Aerospace attempted to finish the project, but without Casse\u2019s personal involvement, military officials lost confidence and pulled the plug.\n\nSurviving off continuing Hurricane sales, Casse Aerospace attempted to return to their roots and release an updated Cosmo but again, without Casse behind the project, it was not a commercial success. Things were looking dire for the company, and when the Navy announced the Hurricane would be retired from active duty, it signaled the end. The market was soon flush with surplus Hurricanes and any remaining new sales dried up. With little options remaining, the board sold the company to an investment firm. From there it passed hands several times before falling into receivership and becoming nothing more than a footnote of history for the next century.\n\nThe Next Generation\nWhen J. Harris Arnold was in school, he was obsessed with the works of Leonard Casse. To him, the mostly forgotten engineer represented everything he loved about ship design. When he eventually started his own ship manufacturing company, Arnold drew heavy inspiration from Casse\u2019s business model and ships for his own designs, utilizing such signature elements as the curved wings and open circle signet. The similarities were such that Arnold and his fledgling company, Anvil Aerospace, was sued by the holding firm who had bought the rights to Casse\u2019s designs. Arnold decided to settle the case by purchasing all of Casse Aerospace\u2019s portfolio himself. Now the owner of Casse\u2019s legacy, Arnold sought an opportunity to put the company\u2019s original designs to use, but one didn\u2019t present itself for close to seventy years.\n\nThe UEE was suffering as Vanduul attacks in Caliban grew in frequency in a manner similar to the ones that led to the fall of Virgil and Tiber. Eager to turn their efforts around, the Navy brass were looking for a new ship that would enable their pilots to cut engagement times down. Their theory was that the faster a Vanduul fighter could be taken out, the less opportunity it would have to cause Human casualties. Anvil provided the solution in the form of a resurrected Hurricane. The updated design still bore all the hallmarks of Casse\u2019s original, but with the addition of Anvil\u2019s proven conflict expertise. The result was a game changer for the war effort, and in 2878 a new generation of Navy pilots began to use the Hurricane to devastating effect.\n\nToday, Casse and the company he built have finally taken their proper place in history books, thanks to the efforts of Arnold and others who sought to keep their memory alive. While he may have only designed three ships in his lifetime, Leonard Casse\u2019s contributions extend well beyond what he left behind in the shipyard, as he has inspired countless numbers to see the universe a little bit differently. The plaque honoring him in the Edleson Design Institute Hall of Fame cites a fitting Casse quotation, \u201cGood design solves a problem, bad design creates new ones.\u201d","de_DE":"Dieses Portfolio erschien urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 5.3.\nW\u00e4hrend Casse Aerospace den Namen einer Ingenieurlegende tr\u00e4gt, ist das Unternehmen selbst f\u00fcr alle au\u00dfer den engagiertesten Schiffsenthusiasten aus dem Ged\u00e4chtnis verschwunden. Oder zumindest war das \u00fcber ein Jahrhundert lang der Fall, bis Anvil Aerospace einen von Casses Entw\u00fcrfen wiederbelebt hat und damit das Interesse an dem Mann selbst und den von ihm gebauten Schiffen.\n\nLeonard Casse, der 2902 in die Hall of Fame des Edleson Design Institute aufgenommen wurde, hat sich einen Platz in der Geschichte als einer der f\u00fchrenden Vision\u00e4re der Messer-\u00c4ra verdient. W\u00e4hrend die breite \u00d6ffentlichkeit seine Entwicklung des Hurrikan-Kampfjets als den nachhaltigsten Teil seines Erbes betrachten mag, ist sein Einfluss auf die Branche insgesamt nicht auf dieses eine Design beschr\u00e4nkt. Casses Einfluss wird von Schiffsdesign-Leute wie J. Harris Arnold, Silas Koerner und Jules Parliegh als eine der wichtigsten Inspirationsquellen genannt und zeigt sich in vielen Raumfahrzeugen, die heute geflogen werden. Vom bescheidenen RSI Aurora bis zur m\u00e4chtigen Anvil Hornet k\u00f6nnen einige der beliebtesten Fahrzeuge des Imperiums ihre Herkunft auf Casses einzigartige Vision zur\u00fcckf\u00fchren.\n\nAbheben\nCasse wurde frisch von der Universit\u00e4t eingestellt und begann seine Karriere 2587 als Junior Aerospace Engineer f\u00fcr RSI und sicherte sich damit eine Position im Starbright Transportteam. Dieses einfache und funktionale Schiff, das oft als spiritueller Vorg\u00e4nger der Aurora bezeichnet wird, war f\u00fcr die Ver\u00f6ffentlichung im Modelljahr 2590 neu konzipiert worden und stand kurz davor, in die Vollproduktion zu gehen. Casse wurde beauftragt, die Bearbeitungsspezifikationen f\u00fcr das ventrale Rumpfteil vor Beginn des Fertigungslaufs zu \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen und bemerkte, dass die aktualisierte D\u00fcsenplatzierung, w\u00e4hrend sie die Kraftstoffeffizienz steigerte, zu potenziell gef\u00e4hrlichen zus\u00e4tzlichen Spannungen im Schiffsrahmen f\u00fchren w\u00fcrde. Er berichtete seine Ergebnisse umgehend an den Lead-Designer von Starbright, nur um zu erfahren, dass der Effekt vernachl\u00e4ssigbar war und dass er den erfahreneren Mitgliedern des Teams vertrauen sollte.\n\nUnzufrieden mit diesem Ergebnis brachte Casse seinen Bericht direkt an den Chef des Unternehmens, CEO Thessaly Vanowen. Beeindruckt von dem jungen Ingenieur beauftragte Vanowen ein separates unabh\u00e4ngiges Team, um die Testergebnisse der Starbright zu \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen. Zwei Wochen sp\u00e4ter wurde das Projekt komplett gestoppt, um eine komplette \u00dcberarbeitung der Innenstreben durchzuf\u00fchren. Die 2590 Starbright w\u00fcrde nun als die 2591 ver\u00f6ffentlicht, wobei Casse zu einem vollst\u00e4ndigen Ingenieur im Team bef\u00f6rdert wurde.\n\nSein Aufstieg danach war schnell. Im Jahr 2595 wurde Casse zum Lead Designer f\u00fcr den 2600 Starbright ernannt. RSI sah das neue Jahrhundert als den perfekten Zeitpunkt f\u00fcr den Relaunch der Starbright und hoffte, dass Casse der ideale Kandidat f\u00fcr die Revitalisierung der alternden Schiffslinie sein w\u00fcrde. Er hat nicht entt\u00e4uscht. Die 2600 Starbright, die von Grund auf neu aufgebaut wurde, wurde f\u00fcr ihr innovatives Einstiegssystem und ihr v\u00f6llig neues kundenspezifisches IFCS gelobt, das sich perfekt in die Triebwerke des Schiffes integrierte und eine un\u00fcbertroffene Reaktionsf\u00e4higkeit bot. Was fr\u00fcher als \"nur ein weiterer Transport\" galt, wurde zu einem \"Flugerlebnis, das jeder genie\u00dfen sollte\". Auch heute, Jahrhunderte sp\u00e4ter, begehren Sammler die 2600 Starbright noch immer f\u00fcr ihre pers\u00f6nlichen Flotten. Vielleicht ist es aber auch \u00fcber seine Qualit\u00e4t hinaus so wertvoll, dass es das einzige Schiff w\u00e4re, das Casse f\u00fcr RSI entwickelt hat.\n\nEine neue Art zu fliegen\nSobald die Montagelinie begann, das Schiff, an dem er fast vier Jahre lang gearbeitet hatte, in Betrieb zu nehmen, k\u00fcndigte Casse Anfang 2599 an, dass er gehen w\u00fcrde, um sein eigenes Unternehmen zu gr\u00fcnden. Laut sp\u00e4teren Biographen beschrieb Casse seine Zeit am RSI als einen st\u00e4ndigen Kampf. Von der ersten Instanz an, als seine Vorschl\u00e4ge aufgrund seines Junior-Status \u00fcbergangen wurden, f\u00fchlte er, dass gutes Design zu oft geopfert wurde, um eine hierarchische Organisation zu bes\u00e4nftigen, die versucht, ihren eigenen Wert zu rechtfertigen. \"Sobald man eine Schiffsfabrik hat, in der fast die H\u00e4lfte der Menschen, die dort arbeiten, nichts mit der Herstellung von Schiffen zu tun haben, wird man Probleme haben\", w\u00fcrde er in einem sp\u00e4teren Interview sagen. Er schwor, dass die Firma, die er gr\u00fcndete, Casse Aerospace, anders sein w\u00fcrde. Er w\u00fcrde nur ein kleines Team von Leuten einstellen, denen er vertrauen konnte, um Qualit\u00e4tsarbeit nach den von ihm geforderten Standards zu leisten, und dann w\u00fcrde er es ihnen \u00fcberlassen. Die Meinung aller Beteiligten h\u00e4tte das gleiche Gewicht, wobei alle endg\u00fcltigen Entscheidungen sich selbst \u00fcberlassen blieben. Es war unorthodox f\u00fcr den Schiffbau, aber unter der starken Vision und F\u00fchrung von Casse funktionierte der flache Organisationsstil.\n\nEs war 2604, als Casse Aerospace sein erstes Schiff, die limitierte Cosmo Sloop, freigab. Als Freizeitschiff mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Benutzerfreundlichkeit pr\u00e4sentierte der Rumpf das Siegel des offenen Kreises und die geschwungenen Fl\u00fcgel, die Casse f\u00fcr alle seine zuk\u00fcnftigen Entw\u00fcrfe verwenden w\u00fcrde. Die Bewertungen dieses hochmodernen Schiffes waren durchweg positiv, aber leider w\u00fcrde sich der Zeitpunkt der Freigabe des Schiffes als sein Untergang erweisen.\n\nDer Zweite Tevarin-Krieg hatte im Jahr zuvor begonnen, und als sich feindliche Kr\u00e4fte durch die Verteidigung der Menschheit dr\u00e4ngten, erreichte der Markt f\u00fcr pers\u00f6nliche Freizeitschiffe die Talsohle. Mit all ihrem Verm\u00f6gen, das auf dem Verkauf der Cosmo beruhte, hatte Casse Aerospace Schwierigkeiten, ihr junges Unternehmen \u00fcber Wasser zu halten, und entschied, dass die beste Vorgehensweise darin bestand, sich den Kriegsanstrengungen anzuschlie\u00dfen.\n\nRuhe vor dem Sturm\nDie Tevarin-Flotte hatte w\u00e4hrend ihres Exodus bedeutende technische Verbesserungen erfahren, und die UEE-Marine hatte es schwer, die neuen Phalanxschilde zu \u00fcberwinden. Im Jahr 2605 forderten die Offiziellen der Marine die Schiffshersteller des Imperiums zu einer L\u00f6sung auf. Obwohl er noch nie zuvor auf einem Kampfschiff gearbeitet hatte, wusste Casse, dass die Kredite, die ein so lukrativer Vertrag bringen w\u00fcrde, seine Firma retten k\u00f6nnten, und so machte er sich daran, die L\u00f6sung f\u00fcr die aktuellen Probleme der Menschheit zu entwickeln.\n\nDie Analyse von Kampfmaterial der Seestreitkr\u00e4fte, die die Tevarin bek\u00e4mpfen, f\u00fchrte Casse zu dem Schluss, dass der Versuch, die Phalanx-Schilde zu \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigen, ein Verlustvorschlag war. Der gr\u00f6\u00dfte Teil des Schadens, den die Marine verursachen konnte, entstand, als ein Tevarin unvorbereitet erwischt wurde. Das Ziel seines Entwurfs w\u00e4re es, die H\u00e4ufigkeit, mit der diese M\u00f6glichkeiten auftreten w\u00fcrden, zu erh\u00f6hen und den dabei verursachten Schaden zu maximieren. Um seinem Schiff zu helfen, dieses Ziel zu erreichen, lieh er sich eine Seite aus dem Spielbuch des Feindes. Wenn die Tevarin in Teams von zwei, einem Piloten und einem Schildbetreiber operieren w\u00fcrden, k\u00f6nnte sein Schiff auch mit einem Team, einem Piloten und einem Turmsch\u00fctzen besetzt sein. Der Entwurf, den er der Marine vorlegte, stand in scharfem Gegensatz zu dem von Branchenf\u00fchrern wie Aegis, und es \u00fcberraschte viele, als die Marine dem ungew\u00f6hnlichen Konkurrenten einen Auftrag erteilte. Casse Aerospace begann sofort mit den Arbeiten an dem, was der Hurrikan werden sollte.\n\nDer Casse Hurricane wurde Ende 2607 gestartet und erlitt w\u00e4hrend der Testphase einige R\u00fcckschl\u00e4ge. Obwohl den Piloten das Leistungsgewicht und der zus\u00e4tzliche Schlag seines Quad-Turms gefiel, hatte der hohe Koordinationsaufwand zwischen Pilot und Sch\u00fctze eine sehr steile Lernkurve. Aus diesem Grund trat der Hurrikan erst 2609 in den aktiven Kampf ein. W\u00e4hrend sie in einigen wenigen Instrumentalaktionen mit verheerenden Auswirkungen verbunden waren, endete der Krieg kurz nach ihrem Einsatz im Jahr 2610.\n\nCasse Aerospace versuchte, vom Erfolg des Hurrikans zu profitieren und nutzte den guten Willen, den sie gesammelt hatten, um einen Auftrag zu erhalten, der ein Langstrecken-Patrouillenschiff entwarf, das geeignet war, die wachsende Xi'an-Front zu sch\u00fctzen. Bevor dieses Schiff jedoch fertig gestellt werden konnte, starb Leonard Casse 2615 tragischerweise, nachdem er an einer t\u00f6dlichen Kollision in der Atmosph\u00e4re beteiligt war. Nach dem Verlust ihres Gr\u00fcnders und F\u00fchrers versuchte Casse Aerospace, das Projekt zu beenden, aber ohne Casses pers\u00f6nliche Beteiligung verloren die Milit\u00e4rbeamten das Vertrauen und zogen den Stecker.\n\nCasse Aerospace \u00fcberlebte die anhaltenden Hurrikanverk\u00e4ufe und versuchte, zu ihren Wurzeln zur\u00fcckzukehren und einen aktualisierten Cosmo zu ver\u00f6ffentlichen, aber wieder, ohne Casse hinter dem Projekt, war es kein kommerzieller Erfolg. Die Dinge waren auf der Suche nach dem Unternehmen, und als die Marine ank\u00fcndigte, dass der Hurrikan aus dem aktiven Dienst ausgemustert werden w\u00fcrde, signalisierte sie das Ende. Der Markt war bald von \u00fcbersch\u00fcssigen Hurrikanen \u00fcberschwemmt und alle verbleibenden neuen Verk\u00e4ufe trockneten aus. Da nur noch wenige Optionen zur Verf\u00fcgung standen, verkaufte der Vorstand das Unternehmen an eine Investmentgesellschaft. Von dort aus ging es mehrmals an den H\u00e4nden, bevor es in die Zwangsverwaltung fiel und nichts anderes als eine Fu\u00dfnote der Geschichte f\u00fcr das n\u00e4chste Jahrhundert wurde.\n\nDie n\u00e4chste Generation\nAls J. Harris Arnold in der Schule war, war er von den Werken von Leonard Casse besessen. F\u00fcr ihn repr\u00e4sentierte der meist vergessene Ingenieur alles, was er am Schiffsdesign liebte. Als er schlie\u00dflich seine eigene Schiffsfirma gr\u00fcndete, lie\u00df sich Arnold stark von Casses Gesch\u00e4ftsmodell und Schiffen f\u00fcr seine eigenen Entw\u00fcrfe inspirieren und verwendete dabei charakteristische Elemente wie die gebogenen Fl\u00fcgel und das Siegel des offenen Kreises. Die \u00c4hnlichkeiten waren so gro\u00df, dass Arnold und seine noch junge Firma Anvil Aerospace von der Holdinggesellschaft verklagt wurden, die die Rechte an den Entw\u00fcrfen von Casse erworben hatte. Arnold beschloss, den Fall zu l\u00f6sen, indem er das gesamte Portfolio von Casse Aerospace selbst kaufte. Arnold, der nun der Besitzer von Casses Verm\u00e4chtnis ist, suchte nach einer M\u00f6glichkeit, die urspr\u00fcnglichen Entw\u00fcrfe des Unternehmens zu nutzen, aber man pr\u00e4sentierte sich fast siebzig Jahre lang nicht.\n\nDie UEE litt, als Vanduul-Angriffe in Kaliban an H\u00e4ufigkeit zunahmen, \u00e4hnlich denen, die zum Sturz von Virgil und Tiber f\u00fchrten. Die Navy-Messings suchten nach einem neuen Schiff, das es ihren Piloten erm\u00f6glichen w\u00fcrde, die Einsatzzeiten zu verk\u00fcrzen. Ihre Theorie war, dass je schneller ein Vanduul-K\u00e4mpfer ausgeschaltet werden konnte, desto weniger Gelegenheit h\u00e4tte er, menschliche Verluste zu verursachen. Anvil lieferte die L\u00f6sung in Form eines wiederauferstandenen Hurrikans. Das aktualisierte Design trug noch immer alle Merkmale von Casses Original, aber mit der Erg\u00e4nzung durch Anvils bew\u00e4hrte Konfliktkompetenz. Das Ergebnis war ein Wendepunkt f\u00fcr die Kriegsanstrengungen, und 2878 begann eine neue Generation von Marinepiloten, den Hurrikan mit verheerender Wirkung zu nutzen.\n\nHeute haben Casse und die von ihm gegr\u00fcndete Firma dank der Bem\u00fchungen von Arnold und anderen, die ihr Ged\u00e4chtnis am Leben erhalten wollten, endlich ihren Platz in den Geschichtsb\u00fcchern eingenommen. Obwohl er in seinem Leben vielleicht nur drei Schiffe entworfen hat, gehen Leonard Casses Beitr\u00e4ge weit \u00fcber das hinaus, was er in der Werft hinterlassen hat, denn er hat unz\u00e4hlige Zahlen inspiriert, das Universum ein wenig anders zu sehen. Die Plakette, die ihn in der Edleson Design Institute Hall of Fame ehrt, zitiert ein passendes Casse-Zitat: \"Gutes Design l\u00f6st ein Problem, schlechtes Design schafft neue.\"","zh_CN":"This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 5.3.\nWhile Casse Aerospace bears the name of an engineering legend, the company itself has faded from memory for all but the most dedicated ship enthusiasts. Or at least that was the case for over a century until Anvil Aerospace resurrected one of Casse\u2019s designs and alongside it, interest in the man himself and the ships he built.\n\nAn Edleson Design Institute Hall of Fame inductee in 2902, Leonard Casse has earned a place in the annals of history as one of the top spacecraft visionaries of the Messer Era. While the general populace may wind up considering his creation of the Hurricane fighter the most enduring part of his legacy, his effect on the industry overall is not limited to that one design. Cited by ship design luminaries such as J. Harris Arnold, Silas Koerner, and Jules Parliegh as a prime source of inspiration, Casse\u2019s influence can be seen in many spacecraft being flown today. From the humble RSI Aurora to the mighty Anvil Hornet, several of the Empire\u2019s most popular vehicles can trace their lineage to Casse\u2019s unique vision.\n\nTaking Off\nHired fresh out of university, Casse began his career as a junior aerospace engineer for RSI in 2587, securing himself a position on the Starbright transport team. This simple and functional ship, often referred to as the Aurora\u2019s spiritual predecessor, had been redesigned for the 2590 model year release and was about to go into full production. Assigned to review the machining specs for the ventral hull piece before the manufacturing run began, Casse noticed that the updated nozzle placement, while adding fuel efficiency, was going to cause potentially dangerous additional stresses to the ship\u2019s frame. He promptly reported his findings to the Starbright\u2019s lead designer, only to be told that the effect was negligible and that he should trust the more experienced members of the team.\n\nUnsatisfied with that result, Casse took his report directly to the head of the company, CEO Thessaly Vanowen. Impressed with the young engineer, Vanowen ordered a separate independent team to audit the Starbright\u2019s testing results. Two weeks later, the project was completely halted for a total rework of the internal struts. The 2590 Starbright would now be released as the 2591, with Casse promoted to a full engineer on the team.\n\nHis rise after that was rapid. In 2595 Casse was named lead designer for the 2600 Starbright. RSI saw the new century as the perfect time to relaunch the Starbright and was hoping that Casse would be the ideal candidate to revitalize the aging ship line. He did not disappoint. Rebuilt from the ground up, the 2600 Starbright was praised for its innovative entry system and all-new custom IFCS that integrated flawlessly with the ship\u2019s thrusters for unmatched responsiveness. What was previously thought of as \u201cjust another transport\u201d became elevated to \u201ca flying experience that everyone should have the pleasure of enjoying.\u201d Even today, centuries later, collectors still covet the 2600 Starbright for their personal fleets. Perhaps what makes it so valued though, even beyond its quality, is that it would be the only ship Casse designed for RSI.\n\nA New Way to Fly\nAs soon as the assembly line began rolling out the ship he had labored on for close to four years, Casse announced at the beginning of 2599 that he would be leaving to start his own company. According to later biographers, Casse described his time at RSI as a constant struggle. From that first instance when his suggestions were passed over due to his junior status, he felt that good design was too often sacrificed in order to placate a hierarchical organization trying to justify its own worth. \u201cAs soon as you have a ship manufacturing company where almost half the people who work there have nothing to do with manufacturing ships, you\u2019re going to have problems,\u201d he would state in a later interview. He swore that the company he was building, Casse Aerospace, would be different. He would only hire a small team of people whom he could trust to do quality work at the standards he demanded, and then he would leave them to do it. Everyone\u2019s opinion would have equal weight, with all final decisions left to himself. It was unorthodox for ship manufacturing, but under the strong vision and guidance of Casse, the flat organization style worked.\n\nIt was 2604 when Casse Aerospace released its first ship, the limited-run Cosmo Sloop. A leisure craft with a focus on ease of use, the hull premiered the open circle signet and curved wings that Casse would use on all his future designs. The reviews of this cutting-edge craft were universally positive, but unfortunately the timing of the ship\u2019s release would prove to be its undoing.\n\nThe Second Tevarin War had begun the year prior and with enemy forces pushing their way through Humanity\u2019s defenses, the personal leisure craft market bottomed out. With all their fortunes riding on sales of the Cosmo, Casse Aerospace found themselves struggling to keep their fledgling company afloat and decided that the best course of action was to join the war effort.\n\nCalm Before the Storm\nThe Tevarin fleet had undergone significant tech upgrades during their exodus, and the UEE Naval forces were having a difficult time overcoming the new phalanx shields. In 2605, Navy officials called upon the Empire\u2019s ship manufacturers for a solution. Though he had never worked on a combat ship before, Casse knew that the credits such a lucrative contract would bring could save his company, and so he set about designing the solution to Humanity\u2019s current problems.\n\nAnalyzing battle footage of Naval forces engaging the Tevarin led Casse to the conclusion that trying to overwhelm the Phalanx shields was a losing proposition. The bulk of damage that the Navy was able to inflict occurred when a Tevarin was caught off guard. The goal of his design would be to increase the frequency with which those opportunities would occur and maximize the damage inflicted during them. To help his ship achieve this goal, he borrowed a page from the enemy\u2019s playbook. If the Tevarin were operating in teams of two, one pilot and one shield operator, his ship could also be manned by a team, a pilot and a turret gunner. The design he submitted to the Navy stood in sharp contrast to those submitted by industry leaders like Aegis, and it surprised many when the Navy granted a contract to the unusual contender. Casse Aerospace immediately began work on what would become the Hurricane.\n\nLaunched late in 2607, the Casse Hurricane suffered some setbacks during the testing phase. Though pilots liked the power-to-weight ratio and the extra punch its quad-turret offered, the high degree of coordination needed between the pilot and gunner had a very steep learning curve. Because of this, the Hurricane didn\u2019t enter active combat until 2609. While they were used to devastating effect in a few instrumental actions, the war ended shortly after their deployment in 2610.\n\nTrying to capitalize on the success of the Hurricane, Casse Aerospace used the goodwill they had garnered to win a contract designing a long-range patrol ship suited to guard the growing Xi\u2019an front. However, before that ship could be finished, Leonard Casse tragically passed away in 2615 after being involved in a deadly in-atmosphere collision. Reeling from the loss of their founder and leader, Casse Aerospace attempted to finish the project, but without Casse\u2019s personal involvement, military officials lost confidence and pulled the plug.\n\nSurviving off continuing Hurricane sales, Casse Aerospace attempted to return to their roots and release an updated Cosmo but again, without Casse behind the project, it was not a commercial success. Things were looking dire for the company, and when the Navy announced the Hurricane would be retired from active duty, it signaled the end. The market was soon flush with surplus Hurricanes and any remaining new sales dried up. With little options remaining, the board sold the company to an investment firm. From there it passed hands several times before falling into receivership and becoming nothing more than a footnote of history for the next century.\n\nThe Next Generation\nWhen J. Harris Arnold was in school, he was obsessed with the works of Leonard Casse. To him, the mostly forgotten engineer represented everything he loved about ship design. When he eventually started his own ship manufacturing company, Arnold drew heavy inspiration from Casse\u2019s business model and ships for his own designs, utilizing such signature elements as the curved wings and open circle signet. The similarities were such that Arnold and his fledgling company, Anvil Aerospace, was sued by the holding firm who had bought the rights to Casse\u2019s designs. Arnold decided to settle the case by purchasing all of Casse Aerospace\u2019s portfolio himself. Now the owner of Casse\u2019s legacy, Arnold sought an opportunity to put the company\u2019s original designs to use, but one didn\u2019t present itself for close to seventy years.\n\nThe UEE was suffering as Vanduul attacks in Caliban grew in frequency in a manner similar to the ones that led to the fall of Virgil and Tiber. Eager to turn their efforts around, the Navy brass were looking for a new ship that would enable their pilots to cut engagement times down. Their theory was that the faster a Vanduul fighter could be taken out, the less opportunity it would have to cause Human casualties. Anvil provided the solution in the form of a resurrected Hurricane. The updated design still bore all the hallmarks of Casse\u2019s original, but with the addition of Anvil\u2019s proven conflict expertise. The result was a game changer for the war effort, and in 2878 a new generation of Navy pilots began to use the Hurricane to devastating effect.\n\nToday, Casse and the company he built have finally taken their proper place in history books, thanks to the efforts of Arnold and others who sought to keep their memory alive. While he may have only designed three ships in his lifetime, Leonard Casse\u2019s contributions extend well beyond what he left behind in the shipyard, as he has inspired countless numbers to see the universe a little bit differently. The plaque honoring him in the Edleson Design Institute Hall of Fame cites a fitting Casse quotation, \u201cGood design solves a problem, bad design creates new ones.\u201d"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":46,"created_at":"2019-04-10T23:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"7 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-04-25 22:53:52","valid_relations":["images","links","translations"],"prev_id":17036,"next_id":17039}}