Asymmetrical Starship Designs...

[Botcho]

A solo campaign I am running is about to go interstellar for the first time and I am stuck on the idea of the character crewing on an asymmetrical freighter.

Are there any in canon to pull from?

Another idea I had was a refurbished symmetrical design running on half drives and missing a third...

 

[Carlobrand]

I don't remember one, but maybe you can get some ideas from this odd number.

 

[Brandon C]

The Donosev survey scout is asymmetrical.

http://www.starshipmodeler.net/contest4/ss_k03.htm

 

[GypsyComet]

Specifically, the Donosev is unusual for being asymmetric on all three axes. Most ships are asymmetric on two axes (front to back, and top to bottom), and a few (the Sulieman and the Broadsword) only on one.

Much of the time the term is used to represent right-left asymmetry. Star Wars uses this scheme a lot, but if you look at those ships they are generally symmetrical top to bottom, so still asymmetric on two axes. There are exceptions that hit all three axes, but usually they low-ball one of the three. The Wayfarer is one example, in that it is technically asymmetric on all three axes, but the top to bottom differences are fairly minor.

 

[Ex_Pendable]

Modular ships are sometimes ordered asymmetrically - typically, they do not land on any world save low-g planets, depending on shuttles/elevators to shunt cargo.

Usually there is still the main drive axis, so as long as you know where you're pointing, it's all good.

 

[Condottiere]

Sometimes highly efficient use of space, and presumably reflected in cost analysis, especially as air resistance and gravity aren't major factors.

 

[RandyB]

There's always the Annic Nova...

 

[Condottiere]

I wonder if that's actually a Spore Drive.

 

[Major B]

A solo campaign I am running is about to go interstellar for the first time and I am stuck on the idea of the character crewing on an asymmetrical freighter.

Are there any in canon to pull from?

Another idea I had was a refurbished symmetrical design running on half drives and missing a third...

Its not a freighter but the jump shuttle for the SDB in Book 7 is asymmetrical, with a pod bridge jutting out the starboard side (allowing the shuttle pilot to see when the shuttle is mated to an SDB. I've wondered before why the side and not on top.

You may want to use that configuration idea for a freight shuttle (maybe tug is a better term) designed to attach onto a pack of cargo containers. Without a load to push it might be pretty fast and have a long jump range but with a full load can only do J1/1G.

An adventure idea capitalizing on this design might be along the lines of:
1) Jump into system x with a full load
2) Point the load toward the high port and then detach
3) Run a quick side mission
4) Return to the load in time to re-attach and guide it into the high port cargo bay, maybe establishing an alibi to deny involvement in the side mission

 

[khadaji2002]

Its not a freighter but the jump shuttle for the SDB in Book 7 is asymmetrical, with a pod bridge jutting out the starboard side (allowing the shuttle pilot to see when the shuttle is mated to an SDB. I've wondered before why the side and not on top.

You may want to use that configuration idea for a freight shuttle (maybe tug is a better term) designed to attach onto a pack of cargo containers. Without a load to push it might be pretty fast and have a long jump range but with a full load can only do J1/1G.

An adventure idea capitalizing on this design might be along the lines of:
1) Jump into system x with a full load
2) Point the load toward the high port and then detach
3) Run a quick side mission
4) Return to the load in time to re-attach and guide it into the high port cargo bay, maybe establishing an alibi to deny involvement in the side mission

*Yoink* (runs away laughing evilly)
This is a great idea!

 

[robject]

Modular ships are sometimes ordered asymmetrically - typically, they do not land on any world save low-g planets, depending on shuttles/elevators to shunt cargo.

Usually there is still the main drive axis, so as long as you know where you're pointing, it's all good.

Yup, modular designs are great for trying out several neat ship features. Demountable fuel tanks, cargo pods (heck, passenger pods), the aforementioned jump shuttle...

 

[Brandon C]

You may want to use that configuration idea for a freight shuttle (maybe tug is a better term) designed to attach onto a pack of cargo containers. Without a load to push it might be pretty fast and have a long jump range but with a full load can only do J1/1G.

I did something similar with some GT designs a few years ago:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=27457

 

[Gray Lensman]

*Yoink* (runs away laughing evilly)
This is a great idea!

Seconded! Good one Major B!

 

[Ulsyus]

Would asymmetry beyond a certain point lead to an unstable vessel due to the stresses placed on the hull if the thrust was high?

 

[Brandon C]

Would asymmetry beyond a certain point lead to an unstable vessel due to the stresses placed on the hull if the thrust was high?

Traveller gravatic technology would tend to say 'no'.

 

[boomslang]

You may want to use that configuration idea for a freight shuttle (maybe tug is a better term) designed to attach onto a pack of cargo containers. Without a load to push it might be pretty fast and have a long jump range but with a full load can only do J1/1G.

Building on an idea from Ken Pick about "deck cargo" external cargo pods over on Freelance Traveller, I spec'd something like this out many months ago to see if I could make it feasible.

Suffice to say, feasibility depends a great deal on the exact rules version (and possible variants) you use.

"Hardwired"
A corporate fleet towboat, under CT/BT; YT-1300 class

drives-D     45   (J-4, M-4, P-4 @ 200dt; J-1, M-1, P-1 @ 800dt; 8EP)
fuel         90   (4 pscs & 5 wks, maybe? [1 psc & 4 wks @ 800dt, standard])
bridge       20
comp/4        4
2 hp w/fc     2   (2 single pulse laser turrets are traditional, they tell me)
6 states     24   (p, 2e, m; default)
pod fit       0   (up to +600dt external load of 100dt pods; must add navigator)
hold         15   (perhaps w/5dt Mail, and/or add'l life supp stores/fuel)
           ----
            200 dtons, streamlined (w/o/pods)

TL10

cost under MCr147 in quantity, w/pod fittings, but w/o/weapons or software

Under CT B2 you get into the usual weirdness about power plants requiring less fuel the larger the hull they are installed in, so I fall back to an idea I borrowed from Thomas House (which I once posted somewhere around here) about simply calculating B5 "Energy Point" equivalences for B2 drives and working backwards from that number to get a "true" fuel usage rate. Most of these power plant fuel issues go away if you build under later rules versions.

You also get into weirdness about needing more crew (the Navi) at the higher displacement -- and do not neglect to mind your bridge size -- but that has always been one of those quirks of L-Hyd and other externally-carried loads one might try to go with.

Frankly, it is almost always going to be cheaper to just build an 800-dton, TL9 galleon to lug that 600dt of cargo around internally at J-1; this proof-of-concept is more for adding color and character to a setting than it is about making practical sense.

Plus, for some reason, players seem to gravitate toward this sort of ship; always looking for a way to outrun patrol cruisers, wanting to convert part of the hold space into "smuggling compartments", and other such shenanigans. Go figure.

 

[coliver988]

Traveller gravatic technology would tend to say 'no'.

We have implied inertial compensators via gravatic tech, so maybe structural integrity fields could also be supposed as another side effect of grav (I think the two are somewhat intertwined anyway but have not given it a lot of thought).

 

[Condottiere]

As I recall, Tee Five caps acceleration at one and three for cluster and braced configurations.

Structural integrity may not be a priority.

 

[Barrel]

There is the "bulk freighter" from Mongoose 1E.

 

[Selandia]

The whole canon idea of Tenders for Battle Rider works on open structure that could be loaded with various ships/pods. Cargo pod, fuel pod, Supply pod, Assault landers...

Such "tug" or LoLo ( Land on Lift off) or LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) would be able to load all kind of odd ball "project cargo" such as industrial modules for corporate mining world.

Unlike Liner, project cargo charter are a bloody good excuse to move your players around. Using patron with time charters instead of Free trader economic allows the ref a lot of flex.

Of course you could have them trading with a cargo pod of their own

Have fun

Selandia