Broadsword's 6 dT fighter by MT rules

[Carlobrand]

Experimenting around a bit with MT. An idea for a Broadsword 6 dT fighter:

CraftlD: 6t Multi-role Fighter, TL = F (High Stellar), MCr12.436
Hull: 6/14; Disp = 6dT; Config = 1AF: Airframe needle/wedge; Armor = 40G: 2.36 cm. Bonded Superdense;
Unloaded = 135.8t. Loaded = 136.7t.
Power: Main: 1/2, Advanced Fusion = 252 Mw, Duration = 0 x24 hr. days / 1 x8 hr. days (12-hours fuel supply)
Locom: 3/6, TL 9 Standard Grav = 12Gs;
NOE = 190 kph, Cruise = 9108 kph, Top = 12,144 kph.
Agility = 3
Commo: Radio: TL 14 System (1000 AU) x1
Laser: TL 14 System (1000 AU) x1
Maser: TL 14 Regional (500km) x1
ECM: Electromagnetic Masking Package (EMM)
Sensors,
Active Obj.: EMS Active Array: TL 14 Far Orbit (500,000 km)
ActObjScan = Active EMS: Routine (7+)
ActObjPin = Active EMS: Routine (7+)
Passive Obj.: Densitometer, Lo-P: penetration = 250 m.
PasObjScan = Densitometer, Lo-P: Routine (7+);
PasObjPin = Densitometer, Lo-P: Routine (7+);
Passive En.: EMS Passive Array: TL 14 Interstellar (2 parsecs)
Neutrino Detector: 10 kw
PasEnScan = Passive EMS: Simple (3+)
PasEnPin = Neutrino Detector: Routine (7+)
Offensive,
Space: Missile Launch.: x03; 3 TL 13 Missiles in 1 Factor 3 batteries
Batt.: x/0/1 Bearing: x/0/1
Ground: Turret-mounted Rapid-pulse Fusion Y-15 primary, 2 Mw TL 13 8-Pulse Laser secondary
Tac. Hardpts: Fuselage Hardpoint x1, Inboard Hardpoint x2
Launch Rail x8
Bomb Bay: 1.5 Kl
Defensive,
Space: DefDM=7
Ground: Prismatic Aerosol x10
Control: Computer= Model 1 x3; Panels: TL 13 Holographic Linked x1; Special: TL 13 Heads-up Holodispl. x1
Enviro: TL 5 Basic Environment, TL 5 Basic Life-support, TL 6 Extended Life Support, TL 10 Artificial Grav Plates, TL 10 Inertial Compensators
Accom.,
Short-term: Crew=1 (1 driver); Pass.=. Seats=Cramped x1, more than 8 hours
Other: Magazines: 1.5 Kl (5 battery rounds) Missile Magazine, HE
Cargo = 0
Fuel = 1.65 Kl
Fuel Purification Plant=None
ObjSize=Small
EmLevel=Faint
Battery Round=3 missiles;

Comments: The Broadsword 6 dT fighter by MT rules (at TL15, as is the Broadsword under MT). 12g thrust allows the craft to maintain 6g's outside of the 10-diameter zone. The craft is equipped for both space combat and close-air support of ground troops. A drawback is the craft's limited load of missiles - 3 battery-rounds in the turret plus 5 in the small magazine. However, the craft is not intended for space combat against military-grade defenses; the load is adequate for commerce raiding or combat against the kind of space forces an irregular or guerrilla force might muster.

For close-air support, the craft mounts a Fusion-Y and an antipersonnel laser in a small remote turret. A small bomb bay can take up to 1500 kg of deadfall munitions, usually CBMs. 3 external hardpoints are available for additional deadfall ordnance, typically CBMs or napalm. 8 launch rails are available for tac missiles (if we ever figure out how that works). However, the external ordnance cannot be carried from orbit through re-entry; it must be loaded on the ground.

The craft carries seating for one person - the pilot. As there is no provision for extended duration flying, the craft carries fuel for only 12 hours flight, usually adequate for most close-air support roles.

 

[savage]

clarification

Is it 12 hours of flight time with manuever drive accellerating or more if it's at the same thrust in a specific trajectory.

 

[aramis]

Is it 12 hours of flight time with manuever drive accellerating or more if it's at the same thrust in a specific trajectory.

It's 12 hours of power plant, and the grav will workup to 100% of that time.

 

[savage]

MT

It's 12 hours of power plant, and the grav will workup to 100% of that time.

And i don't have an MT book handy. Seems a plant running 50% capacity would utilize 50% of the fuel.

 

[aramis]

And i don't have an MT book handy. Seems a plant running 50% capacity would utilize 50% of the fuel.

Fusion can't be stepped down that way. Due to scale efficiencies, anything that small a plant is pretty much on or off.

Note: the efficiency based upon mol fusion energy release is so low, that 1960's solar panels are more efficient... so the presumption must be made that at least 90% of recaptured energy is spent upon maintaining the reaction. Stepping it down to 50% output would then still need 95% fuel rate. (for comparison, current fusion research is getting to maintenance energy of only 99% reaction releases - but is only capturing 80% or so of that in the best experimental designs.)

Until you get PP above 28kL, it just doesn't work. (At that point, you've got multiple cells of 14kL or bigger.)

 

[Timmy]

"Note: the efficiency based upon mol fusion energy release is so low, that 1960's solar panels are more efficient..." Actually, if you run the numbers, then the energy released in the fusion reactors (Large ones at least), based on hteir fuel consumption, is about right for that released from conversion of 1% of the mass of the duterium content of the fuel (earth average duterium content assumed, 1% being the approxiamte expected amount of mass converted to energy in a fusion reaction).

 

[aramis]

Yep, that's still less efficient than solar at recapture, since such low rates of fusion are unreasonable, and if it will fuse deuterium, at least some hydrogen will get fused, plus some helium and maybe even lithium.

 

[Carlobrand]

I swear I did not put any lithium in my fuel tank.

A question bugging me is this:

I've designed for 12g to compensate for the drop-off outside of 10 diameters, same as the standard 10-ton fighters. However, within the 10 diameter limit, I've got 12 g's available?

So ... am I very, very fast - and overwhelming my inertial damper system? (I think the pilot can take it, but I'm not sure if he can take it continuously for 20 minutes AND handle the ship under combat maneuvering while doing it. I can put the controls at his fingertips - but his fingers just got verrrry heavy.)

Or, am I throttling back to 6 g and now have extra power to boost my agility? (I hope I hope I hope)

 

[aramis]

I swear I did not put any lithium in my fuel tank.

A question bugging me is this:

I've designed for 12g to compensate for the drop-off outside of 10 diameters, same as the standard 10-ton fighters. However, within the 10 diameter limit, I've got 12 g's available?

So ... am I very, very fast - and overwhelming my inertial damper system? (I think the pilot can take it, but I'm not sure if he can take it continuously for 20 minutes AND handle the ship under combat maneuvering while doing it. I can put the controls at his fingertips - but his fingers just got verrrry heavy.)

Or, am I throttling back to 6 g and now have extra power to boost my agility? (I hope I hope I hope)

Lithium is produced by Helium fusing.
I don't buy "pure deuterium fusion only" hypotheses... especially since, if it were just burning deuterium, then fuel could be literally 1/200 the tonnage for vehicles.

AS for the G-issue -
Based upon a NASA source:

Uncompensated G's
Vertical (Facing perpendicular to thrust):
1G: no effect (normal Gravity)
2G: no significant effect
3G: movement difficult; Greyout in an hour or less possible
4G-5G: greyout in under 15s
5.5-7G: blackout.

Forward/Horizontal (Facing direction of thrust):
1G: normal
2G: no significant effect
3-4G: Spatial Orientation difficulties; tolerable up to 24 hours
4-7G: increasing breathing difficulty Tolerable for a few hours
7-10G: increasing immobilization. At 9G, arms cannot be lifted; at 10, head can't.

Except for the movement issue, G-suits add 2 G's to these numbers.
So... if they fly "facing forward", in a G-suit, they can take 6 experienced G's pretty well, having issues only for the changes in thrust and rotations. The peak of human fitness can add up to 2 G's of tolerance, too. As can specific training in handling high-G's.
So, you'll have very elite pilots, in combined G-suit/vacc-suit, and combat vets are very likely to have High-G skill.

 

[savage]

Except for the movement issue, G-suits add 2 G's to these numbers.
So... if they fly "facing forward", in a G-suit, they can take 6 experienced G's pretty well, having issues only for the changes in thrust and rotations. The peak of human fitness can add up to 2 G's of tolerance, too. As can specific training in handling high-G's.
So, you'll have very elite pilots, in combined G-suit/vacc-suit, and combat vets are very likely to have High-G skill.

High-G skill or tolerance?

IMTU, i utilize antigrav bucket seating to overcome the excessive effects. Discounts for mass orders. "12Gs... I feel the need, the need for speed."

 

[aramis]

High-G skill or tolerance?

IMTU, i utilize antigrav bucket seating to overcome the excessive effects. Discounts for mass orders. "12Gs... I feel the need, the need for speed."

High-G.
Tolerance is a skill Aslan learn so as to not make massive social blunders in dealing with aliens.

 

[rancke]

Tolerance is a skill Aslan learn so as to not make massive social blunders in dealing with aliens.

Aslan don't make social blunders. Tolerance is a skill male Aslan learn that allows them to refrain from ripping aliens a new one when THEY make social blunders.



Hans

 

[Hyphen]

ROFL! I'm gonna hafta add that to my taglines page...

 

[Carlobrand]

Lithium is produced by Helium fusing.
I don't buy "pure deuterium fusion only" hypotheses... especially since, if it were just burning deuterium, then fuel could be literally 1/200 the tonnage for vehicles ...

Oooh! Got a story. Not producing lithium - making hydrogen from the lithium: Castle Bravo, a 1954 nuclear weapon test conducted at Bikini Atoll.

We (U.S.) were working out ways to make more powerful bombs. One of the strategies was to use lithium - lithium deuteride. That way you didn't have to deal with keeping the hydrogen chilled; lithium deuteride's a solid. The neutron pulse of a fission blast converts the lithium into tritium (Hydrogen-3), and the tritium fuses, bigger boom. A bit more complicated than that, but not essential to the story.

What IS essential is that the bright boys thought only Lithium-6, the less plentiful isotope, would convert. They designed the bomb for a yield of 4 to 6 megatons. Instead, to their surprise, the more plentiful Lithium-7 ALSO converted - and the bomb went off as a 15 megaton blast, the largest ever conducted by the U.S. A Japanese fishing boat outside the exclusion zone, over 130 km away, became heavily contaminated with fallout, with one of the crew dying. A number of inhabited neighboring islands thought to be at a safe distance had to be evacuated due to fallout, some of them suffering medical complications due to radiation exposure.

It was a day for learning humility.