Drag in Space..hehe...sounds like a cheap sci-fi movie. As for the aerodynamic qualities of a "Solar Sail" in space...well..there is none. Drag is not an issue in a vacuum. The item could be as big and bulky as the empire state building and it wouldnt matter. As far as the collection of solar energy, again, a sun in a local system is not needed. The energy is collected from the billions of stars that permeate space. Now it is possible that a nebula or black hole may cause some interference, theres not enough data to support any theory here, just speculation. As far as ship maneuverability, this would depend on the proximity of large gravity wells and the design of the ship and the solar sails. But it would have to be a pretty large gravity field to reduce maneuverability significantly. The biggest problem a ship with any large set of solar panels (as we think of them today, would be with damage caused by micro-meteorites. But if someone in the future is gonna "invent" shields, warp drive, and a host of other sci-fi stuff, well, why not, some type of super efficient extra small hi-speed "solar sails". It's no more unrealistic than the rest of the items in the game. But its a game I do enjoy. Oops...gotto go, my flight to Alpha Centauri leaves in a few minutes..hehe
