Ballard Air/Rafts

[samuelvss]

Ballard Air/Rafts
The Ballard Air/Rafts(BARs) are flat slabs, nominally 3m wide by 6m long, by .4m deep, matching the “footprint” of a 4 ton shipping container, with relatively heavy grav lifting. Its role is to integrate containerized cargo handling, grav. transportation, and grav’ propulsion into a thin package that fits into recessed deck compartments, while providing a propulsion package for a variety of purpose built add-ons. The basic capacity of the Ballard is 4 dtons, 1 operator with 3 passengers, and 2 AstroMechs simultaneously. It does this by carrying all badly: a bench-type seat folds up in the front 1.5m, with a foot well folding out forward, and windscreen folding up; all are carried in the open air; attachment brackets for Ballard AstroMechs fold up on either side; a 4 dton container can be carried set 1.5 m from the front, so it overhangs the rear by 1.5 m; air supply and power attachments for vacc suits’ are provided for personnel and AstroMechs. The BAR can also carry a 4 dton container centered over the chassis, if automated operation is used. An Astro/Mech with Air/Raft-1 can operate a BAR with a 4 dton container, attached on one of the fold-up brackets, or remotely from another vehicle.
The BAR fits into the floor of the “BAR lock,” a compartment that is purpose-fitted to the BAR and 4dton container, that on larger ships serves the role of garage and cargo lock concurrently. In practical usage, Ballard Air/Rafts (“BARs”) are typically used below their potential capacity, with some structure fitted on top. The most common is the 2 Ton Cab, (“2TC” pronounced “two tic”), which fits on the front half of the BAR, and provides a shirt-sleeve environment for up to 6 passengers in relative comfort, complete with a fresher, long range communicator, and basic avionics. It is allows a 2 dton “big cube” container to be carried on the rear half of the BAR in a relatively streamlined configuration, and the whole rig fits into the BAR lock. Its chassis provides itself, and those in the fold-up seats the equivalent of cloth armor.
BAR's use fuel cells at TL's 10 and 13, but at TL15 they use fusion power plants for heavy lifting, but have small fuel cell plants for unloaded operation. Tanks can be used to store Compressed air, hydrogen, or oxygen. In atmospheres containing Oxygen, 4 through 9 (other than very thin and trace), an unloaded BAR has a much higher endurance than a loaded one. A BAR’s batteries are strictly an emergency affair, allowing 30 minutes of power at maximum thrust.
A TL 10 BAR is 3m wide x 6 m long x 0.4 m thick. It can operate loaded at 90 kph, lifting 40,000 kg for 64 hours. It takes 640 liters of LHyd. Unloaded, it can safely cruise up to 160 kph for 640 hours for atmospheres containing Oxygen, 4 through 9 (other than very thin and trace). It costs MCr .8, and weighs 17,800 kg,. 7 may be stacked in 4dton.
A TL 13 BAR is also 3m wide x 6 m long x 0.4 m thick. It can operate at 120 kph, lifting 50,000 kg, for 138 hours. It can cruise at 160 kph, for 280 hours in a vacuum, or 1380 hours in atmosphere 4 - 9. It costs MCr .64, and weighs 12,600 kg. 7 may be stacked in 4dton.
A TL 15 BAR is 3m wide x 6 m long x 0.4 m thick, and is fusion powered with a fuel cell backup. It can operate at 120 kph, lifting 96,000 kg, for 88 hours. It uses the fuel cell for minimally loaded conditions: it can operate at 120 kph, lifting 4,000 kg, for 880 hours in vacuum or 1640 hours in an atmospheres containing Oxygen, 4 through 9 (other than very thin and trace). It costs MCr .75, and weighs 11,800 kg. 7 may be stacked in 4dton.

 

[samuelvss]

2 ton cabs for the Ballard Air/Raft

The 2 Ton Cab, (“2TC” pronounced “two tic”), mentioned above, is pressurized, streamlined and has internal life support for 6 persons for 16 hours, including a fresher. It is also water-tight to 3 atmospheres (30m depth in atmosphere 6, size 8). It takes 30 min to mount a 2TC to a BAR as a routine task by anyone with Mech-1 or Air/Raft-1. The seats in the rear convert to 4 bunks of minimal dimensions. There are 2 m^3 (2 kl) of storage, which include two empty “cube” containers. Each “cube” can carry 12 sets of air tanks for vacc suits. Bunk/seat space for 2 passengers may be sacrificed to gain an additional 2 m^3 (2 kl) of storage, for a maximum of 6 m^3 (6 kl) of total internal storage with only 2 persons carried, 1 of whom is the operator. It has an internal station for an AstroMech at full capacity, and additional one to replace the “shotgun” passenger. The 2TC is armored minimally, to the equivalent of cloth. There are 4 firing ports for small arms, which break the pressure integrity of the 2TC while in use: one facing forward and another starboard for the “shotgun” passenger; one each facing port and starboard for two of the rear passengers to use. It costs kCr 50, fits inside a 2 dton “big cube” for shipping, weighs 1000 kg, and has a height of 2.1 m. A 2TC with a big cube can operate at .75 of cruising speed of the G-cap, below.
The 2 Ton Cab Cowl (“tic-cowl”) provides streamlining for the roof of the 2TC to fill in between the roof and leading edge of a 2dton “big cube” carried on the rear of the 2TC. It may be attached in 10 min as a routine task by anyone with Mech-1 or Air/Raft-1, and stows in one of the “cubes” inside the 2TC. It increases the speed of the 2TC 20kph when loaded, and its height unloaded to 3 m plus the BAR’s height. A BAR with a 2TC and cowl will fit in a BAR-lock, but not into a 3m between deck space, but the BAR mounting a 2TC without a cowl does fit into such a space. The cowl has racks for 18 sets of standard Vacc suit air tanks, and regulators and hoses to hook them into the BAR/2TC air system to extend the rig’s endurance. The cowl is available at TL 10, costs Cr 3,000 and weighs 50kg when packed in its included cube. A 2TC with a big cube and 2 ton cowl can operate at 1.25 of cruising speed of the G-cap, below.
The 2 Ton Cab, Armored (2TCA) “AR-tic,” has the same qualities and specification as the 2TC, but has armored protection which is the equivalent of Combat Armor, and two more forward-facing firing ports for the rear passengers. It costs kCr75, and weighs 2000 kg. It allows the same performance as the 2TC , and takes the 2 Ton Cowl similarly.

 

[samuelvss]

Ballard Air/Raft G-Carrier cap

The G-cap converts the BAR into a small G-Carrier. The size of the BAR with the G-cap installed is 3.6 m wide x 6.6 m long x 2.8 m high (2.6 m to the top deck). It is pressurized, with 48 hours life support for 10, providing a fresher, long range communicator, and basic avionics. It may be attached in 60 min as a routine task by anyone with Mech-1 or Air/Raft-1. It carries two crew (an operator and a gunner) and has folding cloth seats in the rear for 8 combat loaded troops (6 in battle dress or if support weapons are carried), and has a remote mount that can mount any man-portable weapon, including high-recoil and battle-dress only. It provides 2 kl of cargo, which may be in the form of two “cubes.” Provides armor 30 to the front and sides, 24 in the belly, and 16 to the deck and rear; there is a rear ramp. Each troop carried can be replaced by one cube, for a total of 10 kl. There are 3 side-facing firing ports for troops’ weapons, and 2 rear-facing, any of which break the pressure integrity of the G-cap while in use. It costs kCr350, and weighs 24,000 kg. A TL 10 BAR with a G-cap can travel at 600 kph maximum, 450 kph cruise, and 140 kph NOE. A TL 13 BAR with a G-cap can travel at 1080 kph maximum, 810 kph cruise, and 170 kph NOE. A TL 15 BAR with a G-cap can travel at 2400 kph maximum, 1800 kph cruise, and 190 kph NOE.

 

[samuelvss]

The BAR-skirt provides an armored skirt around the BAR in an open configuration, using the fold-up seats. The BAR with skirt measures is 3.4 m wide x 6.4 m long x 1.4 m high It provides armored protection which is the equivalent of Combat Armor, for front, sides, and rear, with sides that extend .6 m above the deck of the BAR, complete with 8 firing notches that may be opened by troops in a prone or seated position on each side, and 3 notches each in front and rear. A total of 20 troops may ride in the this open-topped arrangement, any 16 of whom can fire from the firing notches. The BAR-skirt costs kCr50, and weighs 3500 kg at TL 10; it costs kCr40, and weighs 1500 kg at TL 12. Any skirt fits any TL BAR. It comes disassembled, in 3 x 1m^3 cubes, and it may be assembled in 60 min as a routine task by anyone with Mech-1 or Air/Raft-1. A VRF Gauss Gun or Auto Cannon gun may be comfortably mounted on a “skirted” BAR. It does not effect the performance of the BAR. A 2TC or 2TCA can be mounted with the BAR skirt, at a reduction in 10% in speeds, except NOE, which is unaffected.

 

[samuelvss]

The Speeder cap effectively converts the BAR into a speeder, providing comfortable seating for 2, an operator and passenger, with life support (including a “half” fresher) for 96 hours, and 1 kl of cargo/luggage space. It also provides work stations for 2 AstroMechs. It is a streamlined airfoil with long range communicator, and advanced avionics. The Speeder cap enables the TL A BAR to be operated safely at 2,400 kph maximum, 1800 kph cruise, and 140 kph NOE in atmosphere; it enables the TL D BAR to be operated safely at 3,200 kph maximum in atmosphere, 2,400 kph cruise, and 160 kph NOE; and it enables the TL F BAR to be operated safely at 3,750 kph maximum, at 2,800 kph cruise, and 190 kph NOE. It is available at TL 10, costs kCr550, and weighs 1000 kg. It effectively gives the BAR a displacement of 6 dtons, though the vertical clearance is 2.7m. . It comes disassembled, in 3 2dton big-cubes (a total of 6 dtons), and it may be assembled in 4 man-hours as a routine task by anyone with Mech-1.

 

[Major B]

Great design. I've been thinking about a shipboard cargo mover for some time but hadn't tried to design one. Now I don't have to (and it can do much more than just move shipping containers).

 

[HiverLord]

Agreed, a great design. Nice work!

 

[Icosahedron]

I like this! It also explains the origin of the term 'air-raft' in its basic configuration. I might tweak this for MTU in terms of dimensions and performance, and I might have the basic seats as clip-on front outriggers rather than fold-outs, but I can feel a 'borrow' coming on. Nice design.