Jump Frame and barges freighter

[warwizard]

I did a T4 version specifically for a J1 high volume route.

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=35198

By using a single 1900 Dt lighter that grapples the 100 Dt jump tug, I reduce the volume of the required grapples to only 10 Dt, thereby increasing the efficiency.

The Jump tug is TL 15 so can be used to carry smaller modules longer distances with 470 Dt lighter getting a J6 ride needing 342 Dt of jump fuel.

 

[McPerth]

although now that you mention it it could make an excellent mini-tender carrying armed non jump capable craft, fuel cells,and support pods instead of cargo.

Following this line...

Combat barge/SDB:

Item	Notes	Tonnage	MCr
200 Dton hull	Hull: 4 Structure: 4	200	8
Streamlined	-	-	0.8
Armor	Bonded Superdense 15 points	25	10
Maneuver Drive F	Thrust 6	11	24
Power Plant F	Power 6	19	48
Bridge	-	10	1
Computer model 3	Rating 20	-	5
Electronics	Advanced (+1)	3	2
Weapons	Meson Bay (Accurate, Variable range)	50	50
-	Triple Blaser Turret (accurate, very high yeld, variable range)	1	4
Fuel	2 weeks	12	-
Cargo	-	1	-
Accomodations	6 staterooms	24	3
Extras	Repair Drones	2	0.4
-	Fuel Processors	1	0.05
Fuel Scoops	-	-	1
-	Ship's Locker	-	-
-	Autodoc	1	0.04
-	4 x 10 dton fighters	40	Fighters'
Software	Maneuver	-	-
-	Library	-	-
-	Fire Control/2 (rating 10)	-	4
-	Auto Repair/1	-	5
Totals	-	0	149.6611

Note 1: includes the 10% discout for mass production

Crew is 3 pilots (one of them the OC), 2 engineers, 2 gunners and 4 fighter pilots, all of them in double occupation save the OC, that has single stateroom.

This is basically a small SDB that has been designed keeping in mind the use of Star Class jump frames for deployement. Here is shown the TL 15 versión, but lower versions do also exist (mostly reducing armor and some weapon upgrades).

While quite expensive, it is also quite survivable (except against meson fire) and has very hard punch. Its fighter complement allows it to be kept in reserve in many cases, only moving to first line when its hard delivering MG needs to be put to bear. the lasers are mostly for defense, though they can also be used offensively. The fact it has only beam weapons makes it very supply light.

10 dton fighters:

Item	Notes	Tonnage	MCr
10 dton hull	Hull: 0 Structure:1	10	1
Streamlined	-	-	0.1
Armor	Bonded Superdense 15 points	1.25	1.25
Gravitic Drive sF	Thrust=12	3	6
Fusion Power Plant sG	Power=12	3	6
Fuel	12 hours	0.075	-
Crew Cockpit	1 Crewmember (pilot)	1.5	0.05
Computer Model 3	Rating 15	-	2
Electronics	Standard (-4)	-	-
Weapons	Triple turret: 1 PB (accurate, high yeld)	1	9
Software	Maneuver	-	-
-	Fire Control/3	-	8
Totals	-	0.175	30.46

This is a very small fighter with made as survivable and hard punched as posible. Being single seated, the PB uses to be fired by the computer (as it has FC/3, it fires at +2). Though quite expensive (about 1.5 the Price of the fighter shown in CB page 136), it represents a difficult enemy to face.

The flexibility the combo of those SDBs with the Star Class jump frame is enormous, as it can be mixted with cargo/fuel (a must, as it carries no fuel on its own) and passengers barges.

Example: to conduct a small (1 platoon) raid at 3 parsecs:

• Jump frame
• 4 Cargo/fuel barges
• 1 Passenger Barge carrying 1 Marine Platoon (up to 50 men, 40 of them in double occupancy)
• 3 Combat Barges/SDBs (with their 12 fighters complement)

The main flawl of this combination is that it would depend on external fuel for the return (or use the Combat barges/SDBs to skim it, though it will take quite a time). See though, that up to 2 parsecs it could sacrifice a Combat Barge/SDB for another Fuel Barge and have fuel for the round trip.

 

[wbyrd]

Following this line...

Combat barge:

Item	Notes	Tonnage	MCr
200 Dton hull	Hull: 4 Structure: 4	200	8
Streamlined	-	-	0.8
Armor	Bonded Superdense 15 points	25	10
Maneuver Drive F	Thrust 6	11	24
Power Plant F	Power 6	19	48
Bridge	-	10	1
Computer model 3	Rating 20	-	5
Electronics	Advanced (+1)	3	2
Weapons	Meson Bay (Accurate, Variable range)	50	50
-	Triple Blaser Turret (accurate, very high yeld, variable range)	1	4
Fuel	2 weeks	12	-
Accomodations	6 staterooms	24	3
Extras	Repair Drones	2	0.4
-	Fuel Processors	1	0.05
Fuel Scoops	-	-	1
-	Ship's Locker	-	-
-	4 x 10 dton fighters	40	Fighters'
Software	Maneuver	-	-
-	Library	-	-
-	Fire Control/2 (rating 10)	-	4
-	Auto Repair/1	-	5
Totals	-	0	149.6251

Cargo [TD]-[/TD][TD]2[/TD][TD]-[/TD]

Note 1: includes the 10% discout for mass production

Crew is 3 pilots (one of them the OC), 2 engineers, 2 gunners and 4 fighter pilots, all of them in double occupation sabe the OC, that has single stateroom.

This is basically a small SDB that has been designed keeping in mind the use of Star Class jump frames for deployement. Here is shown the TL 15 versión, but lower versions do also exist (mostly reducing armor and some weapon upgrades).

While quite expensive, it is also quite survivable (except against meson fire) and has very hard punch. Its fighter complement allows it to be kept in reserve in many cases, only moving to first line when its hard delivering MG needs to be put to bear. the lasers are mostly for defense, though they can also be used offensively. The fact it has only beam weapons makes it very supply light.

10 dton fighters:

Item	Notes	Tonnage	MCr
10 dton hull	Hull: 0 Structure:1	10	1
-	-	0.1
Armor	Bonded Superdense 15 points	1.25	1.25
Gravitic Drive sF	Thrust=12	3	6
Fusion Power Plant sG	Power=12	3	6
Fuel	12 hours	0.075	-
Crew Cockpit	1 Crewmember (pilot)	1.5	0.05
Computer Model 3	Rating 15	-	2
DStandard (-4)	-	-
Weapons	Triple turret: 1 PB (accurate, very high yeld, variable range)	1	5
Software	Maneuver	-	-
-	Fire Control/3	-	8
Totals	-	0.175	26.46

Streamlined Electronics

This is a very small fighter with made as survivable and hard punched as posible. Being single seated, the PB uses to be fired by the computer (as it has FC/3, it fires at +2). Though quite expensive (about 1.5 the Price of the fighter shown in CB page 136), it represents a difficult enemy to face.

The flexibility

hat will definitely do the trick....The use of meson, and particle weapons would be especially nasty..since most non military vessels won't be carrying screens, or dampeners.

It would be even more expensive by a few million to modify the fighters into drones, but it would cut down on crew requirements, and stateroom needs....and even scarier version would be to replace the crew of the barges with drone units...

 

[McPerth]

and even scarier version would be to replace the crew of the barges with drone units...

See that this is already done in the cargo/fuel barge, as it is fully robotic. For the passenger barge, I assumed people would feel more comfortable with a sophont pilot.

About Fighter drones (TL 14): http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=34783

 

[wbyrd]

See that this is already done in the cargo/fuel barge, as it is fully robotic. For the passenger barge, I assumed people would feel more comfortable with a sophont pilot.

About Fighter drones (TL 14): http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=34783

True enough.....And I think I made my feelings about the fighter drone made known at an earlier date....dread, cold, cold dread.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Star Class Jump Frame:

Item	Notes	Tons	Cost(MCr)
2000 tons distributed hull	Hull:40 Structure:40	.	180
Jump Drive=U	Jump=4	100	190
Maneover Drive=K	Maneover=1	19	40
Power Plant=U	Power=4	58	152
Bridge	.	40	10
Computer	Model 3 (bis)	0	3
Electronics	Basic Civilian (-2)	1	0.05
Fuel	PP 2 weeks	38	.
Weapons	1 HP with triple PLaser Turrets	1	2.5
Crew Staterooms	9	36	4.5
Extras	Ship Locker	0	0
.	Escape pods x 9	4.5	0.9
.	Luxuries	2	0.2
.	Repair Drones	20	4
.	Clamps for 8 200 ton barges	80	16
.	8 x 200 ton Barges	1600	Barges’
Software	Maneover	0	0
.	Jump Control/4	0	0.04
.	Auto-Repair/2	0	10
.	Fire Control/1	0	2
.	Library	0	0
Cargo	.	0.5	0
Totals	.	2000	560.1505

I't even better than that. You do not need to include the barges in the ship's hull, the barges are external. The drives still need to be based on the total size of the hull + barges.

In this case you only need a 400 Dt hull, saving some money but losing Hull and hardpoints... It might also change crew requirements etc.

This also means that performance varies by number of carried barges. E.g. the ship could do J-5 and M-2 with only 4 barges (total 1200 Dt) [computer and possibly TL might limit].

Docking Clamp: A docking clamp allows a spacecraft to carry a small craft or other vessel on the outside of the hull. Recalculate the ship’s Thrust Number by adding the tonnage of the spacecraft and the docked craft together, ...

 

[McPerth]

I't even better than that. You do not need to include the barges in the ship's hull, the barges are external. The drives still need to be based on the total size of the hull + barges.

In this case you only need a 400 Dt hull, saving some money but losing Hull and hardpoints... It might also change crew requirements etc.

This also means that performance varies by number of carried barges. E.g. the ship could do J-5 and M-2 with only 4 barges (total 1200 Dt) [computer and possibly TL might limit].

Yes, this was already suggested, and that was my answer then:

Okay, some initial thoughts:

On the jump frame, I'm not sure that you need a 2,000 ton hull. Wouldn't a 400 ton distributed hull with clamps for 1,600 tons of barges work?

All the numbers must be done with the ship fully loaded (with the 8 barges on it) for the idea o work. That's the same as a Tender incluiding the tonnage of the Riders, or a Carrier that of the Fighters.

The barges are subcrafts, even if the frame may work independently (except for the fuel, as it carries no enough of it for a single jump)

The cargo barge probably needs repair drones if there are no humans aboard. Also, I would consider adding one stateroom for a human crew if a situation might require one. This only costs 6 tons of cargo space.

The repair drones fo the barge are thought for the whole combo. IMHO this has some advantages:

• centralizes the drones, allowing all of them to act where needed (no real game effect)
• allows the barges to use their whole volume (though it's only 2 tons, they are better used for other pourposes on them)
• avoids the barges to need a computer capable to handle an auto-repair program

I know the fact the barges are subcrafts and so must be included is argueable, but I have not seen any Tender that does not include its Raiders among his tonnage...

This does not preclude it to be able to perform higher jumps when unloaded (though some fuel barges would be a mínimum load, as the barge itself has not enough fuel), but this would be out of its normal operations...

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Yes, this was already suggested

Sorry, I must have missed that when I skimmed the thread.

I know the fact the barges are subcrafts and so must be included is argueable, but I have not seen any Tender that does not include its Raiders among his tonnage...

I can't really see this as arguable.

For example, a 200–ton vessel has a docking clamp. Attached to the clamp is a 50–ton cutter. Together, the vessels have a displacement tonnage of 250, which is rounded up to 300. The 200–ship has M–Drive B, which gives the combined spacecraft a Thrust of 1. When the cutter disconnects from the clamp, the 200–tonner will be back at its normal thrust of 2.

Also see the Indigo class pirate carrier, Scoundrel, p99: A 300 Dt ship carrying 10 light fighters (consuming no space) in clamps with drives dimensioned for 400 Dt.

The clamped vessels are clearly added to mother ship's hull tonnage, not included in it.

This does not preclude it to be able to perform higher jumps when unloaded (though some fuel barges would be a mínimum load, as the barge itself has not enough fuel), but this would be out of its normal operations...

No, a 2000 Dt hull can never be less than 2000 Dt when calculating drive performance.

 

[kilemall]

Piratically speaking, a lighter/barge swapout at the 100D limit means twice as much loot sitting there right where I can jump away. The temptation to pillage would be enormous.



These things would REQUIRE escorts.

 

[McPerth]

Piratically speaking, a lighter/barge swapout at the 100D limit means twice as much loot sitting there right where I can jump away. The temptation to pillage would be enormous.

These things would REQUIRE escorts.

Good point, but see that those ships would usually work among systems where they have infrastructure, and in many instances among high pop worlds in well developed zones, so likely highly patroled ones where piracy is not an issue.

Other worlds where those ships would be useful, though, are those frontier worls lacking interface infrastructure (though most of them would be served by free/far/fat traders ,also able to land by themselves).

Even in those worlds, though , the company running the Star ships is likely to have enough infrastructure (even in mostly to serve the barges) as to have some escort/patrol presence, even if only in the form os one combat barge/SDB (that I guess is enough to scare most pirates).

In high risk zones where no such patroling exist, though, it might be worth to have one combat barge attached to the ship, even if you solse some profit (we can assume those high risk areas are likely to pay better).

 

[Selandia]

T-5 p. 287

What I get from it (and what I use for my system, that I call Jump Tug) is that the Tug/frame is having its own hull of say 200 t and built as such, including hook ups (costed in the JTug hull). It is limited by hull type rules to 1 G (those are dispersed structure). It is then limited in term of G & J performances by the actual load, for performance is a function of all attached pod & barges. If you include drop tank type fuel pod, you have different Tonnage at G and J.

have fun

Selandia