The Magpie looks like a half-finished skeleton of a hull, with the main drive system separated from the main cargo and living quarters by a long thin central section. It is 40m long, 16m wide and 20m tall, though most of this volume is empty space.

A distinctive Jump-1 capable tramp freighter, the Magpie was designed to transport small cargoes over short distances. Its Ion Drive is relatively large, providing more thrust than is common for such systems, but it is still hampered when in close orbit to a planet.