Cargo Loading - Bombs Away !

[Patron Zero]

Uncertain if this has been discussed before so here goes.....

I've noticed the majority of starships load cargo, referring to standardized containers, by way of design specific hatches or cargo doors. For some such as merchant vessels I can see such fixtures as a must have, now to briefly step away from the conventional, here's my thought.

For ships that carry cargo but not truly dedicated freight movers, such as say Scout/Couriers, why not have the cargo modules load by way of what can only be described as 'bomb bay' doors ?

Loading-unloading planetside would be much like 'real world' aircraft, pallet-jack lifters hoisting said containers up-down to fit snugly into the specified spaces. Changing loads in orbit would be a simpler matter with the loss of gravity-implied up-down orientations.

Depending on how such 'bomb bays' are located in a vessel, the cargo modules could be easily accessed from the ship's interior or perhaps not accessible at all being 'bonded' courier sealed shipments.

On a few starships I see a bit of lost interior space in cargo areas, such space necessary to 'jockey' containers about, perhaps on ships having limited interior volume this concept could be an alternative worth considering.

 

[Sanjuro]

For use in space it's a good idea- but for anything that lands on a planetary surface there are some problems.
First of all, you open the doors to inspect the cargo- it all falls out!
If you have a side opening door, the cargo containers can slide in- you can even build the container handling machinery into the floors. Should you have loose cargo, that can also be carried- just put dividers (nets would do) splitting the hold into bays the size of the containers, keeping weight and balance calculations simple. You can even mix containers and loose freight- it's a very flexible system.
Got a large load? It can take up two adjacent bays, just tie it in place. You can even have inspection hatches with access from the passenger or crew areas, without worrying about falling out if a hatch is insecure.
Search on youtube for Air Cargo loading- you can see films of how little space is wasted. The containers can be modularised- some airlines even have crew rest areas in containers on the cargo hold!

 

[far-trader]

I'm for it. I have a ship somewhere here (local here, not CotI here, I don't think...) with the cargo-hold/missile-bay/bomb-bay built that way. Cargo doesn't fall out if it's racked into the overhead clamps.

 

[BlackBat242]

What about a cargo bay where the entire floor drops down (in a level posture) to the ground for easy loading/unloading?

When the floor/elevator is raised, structural beams slide from the hull into the floor structure and lock into place, making it an integral part of the hull... load-bearing & frame-stiffening.

You can load/unload from all 4 sides, making the process easier... and it is easier to access something no matter where in the load it is.



Then there are the "full-width/height doors"... located either at the bow or stern.

Stern doors are neat... if you need to unload the cargo quickly & don't care about its condition (or if it is in ruggedized containers) you can just un-lash everything, open the rear doors, raise the bow and dump it all on the ground in one big pile.

This maneuver can also be done in space... just turn off the grav system/inertial compensator, un-lash everything, open the rear doors, and accelerate at a decent clip... say 1-2 Gs... and it all slides out.

 

[Oculus Orbus]

What about a cargo bay where the entire floor drops down (in a level posture) to the ground for easy loading/unloading?

When the floor/elevator is raised, structural beams slide from the hull into the floor structure and lock into place, making it an integral part of the hull... load-bearing & frame-stiffening.

That makes me think of Thunderbird 2 from the old Thunderbirds show.

http://www.sixtiescity.com/Anderson/Images/AND179.jpg

Here's a nice view of the new version:

http://www.oup.co.uk/oxed/children/reference/thunderbirds/tbird2/

 

[Kaeto]

I've often thought about designing Thunderbird 2 as a Traveller ship.

 

[Icosahedron]

I'm sure TB2 has been done many times. Makes a good dropship.