Cargo in Traveller

[Redcap]

It's interesting to note that even the Military don't drop cargo through bomb bay doors these days - they roll it out the back of a Herky bird, Starlifter, Galaxy, Globemaster, or similar kind of aircraft.

You could translate that to Traveller easily enough, with the right design; a Fat Trader (Subsidised Merchant (Type R)) could drop grav-chute-fitted ISO cargo containers out the back on a low-altitude fly-by, for example. ALl that would be required is specially fitted 4-ton ISO containers with a self-powered Grav 'chute built-into it; yes, it would reduce the capacity for cargo within the container, but it would reduce the risk to military or co-opted (IMTU: Civil Transport Reserve Fleet subsidy program within the Domain of Deneb) ships performing the deliveries.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[Redcap]

As a follow-up to dropping ISO containers out the back of a low-flying transport, pp162 of the MgT Central Supply Catalogue mentioned the Parachute, Grav (TL 10) Cr 2,500 (pp.162)

Parachute, Grav (TL 10): A personal harness incorporating a smaller version of the Grav Belt. The chute can be manually controlled or set to activate at a given altitude. Instead of relying upon atmospheric resistance, a grav chute uses a localized contragrav field to slow the user’s descent. It does not allow much more lateral movement than a standard parachute but functions even on worlds with no atmosphere. It can be cut in and out, or used for slight braking rather than the all-or-nothing descent available with a conventional chute. The internal batteries are good for one descent. A grav parachute cannot be used to give “lift” for upward movement. It will slow the user’s fall whichever way up he or she may be. Internal safety devices will ensure the user makes a soft landing, often at very low speed, even if unconscious. Cr. 2,500.

How big do you folks feel a grav chute for an ISO container should be, for say a 4dT (1.5 x 1.5 x 3 metre) size container, contained within and powered from within the body of the container, and how much would it cost?

 

[kilemall]

As a follow-up to dropping ISO containers out the back of a low-flying transport, pp162 of the MgT Central Supply Catalogue mentioned the Parachute, Grav (TL 10) Cr 2,500 (pp.162)



How big do you folks feel a grav chute for an ISO container should be, for say a 4dT (1.5 x 1.5 x 3 metre) size container, contained within and powered from within the body of the container, and how much would it cost?

Er.

Isn't that 1dt?

I would think 4x as much for handling more weight and volume, and in the form of a pallet the container is ratcheted to so one crewman can easily push it out, with some sort of cat-reflex 'land right side up' logic and sensor set driving it. Call it Cr12,000 per ton.

 

[Redcap]

Er.

Isn't that 1dt?

I would think 4x as much for handling more weight and volume, and in the form of a pallet the container is ratcheted to so one crewman can easily push it out, with some sort of cat-reflex 'land right side up' logic and sensor set driving it. Call it Cr12,000 per ton.

Standard ISO container footprint is eight squares (2x4), equalling 4dT.

Since grav plating on ships can have their polarity changed, it's easy enough to assume that instead of down actually being 'down', Grav in the cargo bay could be changed to point 'aft' when sliding cargo out the back of a transport ship, thus all you'd need is the loadmaster hitting the controls, watching by cctv from a location outside the cargo bay, and hitting a single botton to initiate any drop out the back, rather than old-tech 'manually-shove-it-off'.

Regards right-side-up, easy enough with a solid-state 'compass' in the 'chute detecting local gravity once out the back, so fully agreed there

I had a dekko in FF&S just now. While there's nothing specifically for grav 'chutes, there is material for ContraGrav Lifter design methodology (TNE: FF&S pp.75); using that comes up with the following:

TL 12 4dT ContraGrav ISO Container 'Chute

High Efficiency CG 'Chute
0.4MW power requirement
1.2Kl internal space requirement
0.6dT mass
MCr 1.2 cost

This does not include any power source, which I assume would only need to be a short-life battery, say five minutes-worth of life before recharge or replacement. I have NO idea on the figures for that!

 

[kilemall]

Well, if there is something in MgT2E I don't know about it that's possible, but the typical dton is 1.5 x 1.5 x 3, which you were associating with 4 dtons. 4 dtons would be more like two 3x3x3 spaces.

https://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/shipyard/tonnage.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohUxs1aLPg

8 squares would be right for 4 dtons, so I'm chalking this up to expression.

Far as pricing, seems to make cheap air/rafts impossible, wondering if that's more a power lift rather then a glide to null gravity. 4 tons with my pricing works out to 48,000 Cr.

Another micro-lifter set I'll use is the one for LBB8 Robots. That shows 1000kg of lift for 2000 Cr, assuming 2000 kg per dton for cargo and tare weight packaging that's 16,000 Cr, not counting whatever bot is handling the landing.

Remote control brains on the dropship and it could be pretty cheap for the grav pallet.

Striker would be another approach but a little too much for back of the envelope figuring.

 

[Enoki]

I would think with a rear cargo hatch it'd be easier to just change the angle of attack of the ship. That is, tilt it nose up until the cargo just slid out the back on its own. No need for shifting ship's gravity at all.
Once it clears the bay, you deploy the chute, or whatever to stabilize and slow the decent of the container... Unless the cargo master forgot to turn it on...

Always best to keep things simple.

 

[Timerover51]

You mean something like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5mmZQYkAl8

Note, there is this small matter of forward velocity to also deal with.

 

[Redcap]

I was thinking more along the lines of this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Na0vegVAk), but yeah, that's the general thrust (sic) of the idea

Not so much LAPES, as low level cargo drops, not NOE drops, but around 250m AGL or so, more a regular battlefield drop.; smallish, relatively fast ships, come in quick, drop on a beacon location, and get out quick. The cargo drops slowly by contragrav 'chute, lands with reasonably low-level impact, cargo inside remains intact, and as an added bonus, the container acts later as a pre-fab hab unit fopr a section of troops, or whatever, job done.

Which is where the CG 'chute for the container comes in, allowing all this to happen

 

[Enoki]

Of course, you don't want this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-YsSL65quM

 

[Redcap]

HA! Seen that already Massive fail by the packing g team!

But yeah, last thing you want is four tons of container dropping down on yer noggin

 

[aramis]

Well, if there is something in MgT2E I don't know about it that's possible, but the typical dton is 1.5 x 1.5 x 3, which you were associating with 4 dtons. 4 dtons would be more like two 3x3x3 spaces.

Nope... a typical is 1.5 x3 x3 m... the 4Td is 3x3x6.

 

[kilemall]

Nope... a typical is 1.5 x3 x3 m... the 4Td is 3x3x6.

Exactly. I was using an example from the linked Freelance article, just drawing the direct example from the article, 2 3x3x3 would be 3x3x6.