In the main book you can have a Cargo bay and "lighter" hanger, and in BattleFleet Koronus it mentions that ships without launch bays could still have "Shuttles, Heavy Lifters, and Lighters". So I understand that a shuttle would be focused on transporting people and a heavy lifter is designed to haul large cargos but what is a Lighter and what makes it a better choice for players than a Heavy lifter?

Its a small shuttle used to shift cargo and men from orbit to planet. It's like the white van of the space fleet. This is from the warhammer 40,000 descriptions.

"The Arvus is a small, solid, reliable workhorse utility cargo shuttle, used by the ships of the Imperial Navy for transferring cargos of supplies or small units of personnel from ship-to-ship or ship-to-planet. Squat and durable, the Arvus has two powerful engines for carrying heavy loads. It has no armaments and is not expected to engage the enemy. It is commonly seen on the decks of large Imperial Navy ships or making repeat runs from surface to ship transporting supplies and men.1

It is the Imperial Navy's equivalent of the Imperial Guard's Trojan and fulfils many of the same roles. Like its ground-based relative, it also has affectionate nicknames among its crews such as the Hog, the Little Pig and the Onager. The reasons for this title are unknown but superstition among the Imperial Navy believes the machine-spirit of the Arvus lighter to be truculent and stubborn.

The ship's interior is very basic and does not include many advanced systems beyond standard navigational and sensor equipment and proximity alarms. The single pilot has a small cramped cockpit. The cockpit's screen swings up to allow the pilot access from the front. There is also a small hatchway to allow the pilot access to the cargo compartment should he need it."

You can find pictures of the model over on the ForgeWorld website.

As for what makes it better than a heavy lifter, I personally can't see a single thing. Especially since they take up the same amount of space.

Shuttle is a Dacia Sandero.

Heavy Lifter is a Mack Titan.

Lighter is a Bugatti Veyron.

Errant said:

Not a Veyron, lol the Lighter is the white tradesmans van, its a small cargo carrier, slow, ugly and totally unarmed. It's a small purpose lifter. The Heavy Lifter is a larger vessel for bulk cargo, the big rig truck as you have said.

Now the Aquila Lander is the fancy shuttle of choice for an Imperial Servant, it looks the part and is fast and pretty.

Guncutters are mini self sufficent ships with the small living space and the weapons, therefore beloved of Inquisitors and Rogue Traders, I run the inside as being like Starbug from Red Dwarf in layout (cargo, living accom, medical facilities etc all tucked in a small shell, I have the floorplan from the Red Dwarf Roleplaying Game).

Errant said:

Lol, a lighter is more volkswagen transporter than a veyron, seeing as it has no speed, no agility and no style :-)

Here's the dictionary definition: "Lighter (n.) a large, open, flat-bottomed barge, used in unloading and loading ships offshore or in transporting goods for short distances in shallow waters."

Right. I'll be seconding whoever described it as the white van. Note the errata adjusts the Arvus lighter's speed down to a reasonable 10 AU's.

Cheers,

- V.