And gradually became this :
But now here's the all new, mostly textured version. Click to embiggen!
Basically it's a V/TOL design transport/gunship, designed to take passengers and cargo (troops, often) from orbit to the ground and back. A Hind, basically, but a Hind in SPAAAAACE! It would also be capable of interplanetary missions.
Four engines to give vertical takeoff and landing capability (and those are not jets, they are toroidal repellor engines which in the Coalition universe are a type of sublight drive about three entire technological revolutions removed from a jet engine. In level flight they tilt to point backwards. Power systems and other gubbins on top. Weapons comprise four twin-barrelled plasma cannon, one forward, one aft, one on each side. There's underwing pylons for missiles or rockets, in this case pods with 61 x 76.2mm rockets each.The two white domes on the nose are sensors; there are other, smaller white domes scattered around which are sensor decoy dispensers. Finally, you can see a little gadget to the left of the door. That's an active protection system which shoots down incoming rounds.
This is also a bit of an adventure in creating a scene for the thing to sit in. Normally I put these things in space, or just sitting on a featureless surface under a featureless sky. This is an actual textured surface and a sky background. Not perfect, but I'm pretty pleased with how this one has come out!
The other side of the Mule, with door closed. There are three doors, two just behind the cockpit and a large rear-access ramp. Note the size of the guns; these are upwards of five and a half feet long.
When considering the scale, note that the white-haired ladies standing around are not humans; they are Turgrans, a humanoid alien species. They're significantly taller than humans; the woman in the foreground here is over 7'4" tall. If Coalition equipment seems over-sized, bear in mind that much of it is designed with Turgrans in mind.
Takeoff! The Mule is a pretty big beast. Total length is 28 m (almost 92 feet). The cargo compartment can be fitted with up to 74 seats.
The Mule in space. Whilst she looks kind of conventional on the outside, she can do things no present day craft can. Like take off from a muddy field, fly into orbit, hang out for a few hours, fly to Mars, land on Mars, takeoff from Mars, and fly back to Earth. She could do it all in a day, too.
Incidentally all of the Coalition's transport craft are named for beasts of Burden. The small one is the Donkey, this is the Mule, there's also a large one called a Camel.
The rear of the Mule.
The Mule's command deck. This model probably set a new standard for making an interior that matches the exterior. I find it extremely difficult and fiddly to do this!