MT Only: Looking for this ship

[atpollard]

So I stumbled across this image of a starship on Page 46 of the MegaTraveller Player's Manual:



Does anyone know if there is any data on it anywhere?
(Page 46 has nothing but the image as filler).

It almost looks like a Type A variant.
Anyway, I liked the design.

 

[GypsyComet]

It almost looks like a Type A variant.

Like the artist started to draw a Beo and changed his mind.

I know there are some round ship plans in existence, but I think they are either bigger or closer to saucers, or both.

Beerfume's "Stardrake" is close
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=37312

 

[McPerth]

It's flattened sphere config and general view reminds me about the Solomani Free Trader, thouhg seen from another angle tan the picture in MT:S&A page 42...

 

[Blue Ghost]

I think it's a K'Kree "scout" or trader. GURPS AM ... the one with Vargr and K'Kree has a write up on the vessel (I can't remember which number book it is).

 

[McPerth]

Do you mean the 6000 ton Xeekr'kir Class Merchant?

It's a good guess too...

(details and deckplans in Challenge issue #28, page 22)

 

[Major B]

It's flattened sphere config and general view reminds me about the Solomani Free Trader, thouhg seen from another angle tan the picture in MT:S&A page 42...

My first thought was the Solomani trader too.

Can anyone decipher the name stenciled on it.

 

[robject]

Can anyone decipher the name stenciled on it.

The symbols look sorta Vilani. Suppose it (barely) predates the Vilani script's invention? Who was the artist (inside cover should tell)?

Nine letters.

delta - close bracket - seven - forward slash - non-parallel lines - open P - backwards seven - complicated o - vertical bar.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Well, there are three designs mentioned on pages 120 and 121 of GT Alien Races 2.
But most likely it's Kahk'rik'kreng Class Courier, especially since it has one turret, and the two other designs mentioned have 20 and 40 turrets respectively.

The book talks about glyphs, mathematical notation, but doesn't mention any universal K'Kree alphabet, so unless it's in the original CT AM (6?), it's just some mysterious lettering.

 

[GypsyComet]

With the windows up front, what could be hatches at the front quarters, fuel scoops at the waist, and the turret, I can easily interpret the top-most deck as about the same size as the Beo's passenger deck, and the grill thing at the front if it as an air-raft bay door. That's a straightforward 200 ton interpretation.

While it is visibly undergunned it could also be interpreted larger, as a Patrol Corvette (400 or 500 tons) or even as a Type C, making that top deck a possible Cutter or Pinnace bay.

The visible cues make a K'kree interpretation in the multi kiloton range a stretch for me, but those cues could be ignored and the hull interpreted larger.

It does not appear to match the old Imperium counter sheet silhouettes, so it not likely a venerable Vilani warship, though it could still easily be a Vilani design.

 

[robject]

OK. According to the OLD Bilanidin Bold, these letters are close:

delta: F
close bracket: unsure
seven: G
forward slash: unsure
un-parallel lines: unsure
open P: B
backwards seven: K
complicated o: L
vertical bar: unsure

So even though it's not Bilanidin, more than half of the letters match Bilanidin letters. The artist knew of the developing alphabet, although he did not know the letter assignments as we know them.

Due to the F and G, I'd be tempted to say the first six letters are F U G A T E, but I think it's unlikely.

With the windows up front, what could be hatches at the front quarters, fuel scoops at the waist, and the turret, I can easily interpret the top-most deck as about the same size as the Beo's passenger deck, and the grill thing at the front if it as an air-raft bay door. That's a straightforward 200 ton interpretation.

That double turret does seem to set the volume range nicely. I mean, that's about what they look like on the Beowulf. So I'd say 200 tons is reasonable.

Even likely, since the other turret is probably on the underside.

 

[Fovean]

First thing I thought was Solomani Free Trader.

But I know next to nothing of the Solomani, and even less of Bilanidin.

It reminds me of another mystery ship from the MT days which had in the main a flat disk design and IIRC the engineering section as a blocky addendum to the rear of the vessel. I believe the consensus was that it was a Solomani design hence my gut reaction to this ship.

It feels to me definitely to be in the ACS tonnage range, highly doubtful to me it is K'kree.

 

[Blue Ghost]

It's in the book. The deck plan fits the picture to a T.

 

[atpollard]

It's in the book. The deck plan fits the picture to a T.

You are correct that GURPS Traveller recycled the picture for the K'kree Book and stuck it in with the description of 10,000+ dTon ships.

I think the scale of the turret in the picture makes that a bad fit on their part. Those turret weapons are Bay Weapon sized.

I think the image makes a great ACS scale ship with the turret, turret sized and the top deck similar to the Beowulf Class Type A.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Well, I mean the scout, not the big guy.

 

[Vargas]

So I stumbled across this image of a starship on Page 46 of the MegaTraveller Player's Manual:



Does anyone know if there is any data on it anywhere?
(Page 46 has nothing but the image as filler).

It almost looks like a Type A variant.
Anyway, I liked the design.

It's something Tom Peters whipped up out of his imagination.

 

[GypsyComet]

It's something Tom Peters whipped up out of his imagination.

Spoilsport.

 

[Ulsyus]

It's something Tom Peters whipped up out of his imagination.

Well, that's an answer and should settle the original question shouldn't it?

It's in the book. The deck plan fits the picture to a T.

Which is the other element of this: that the illustration can be used for whatever anyone wants to use it for.

If it's a standard hull which is easily constructed due to a long history of different models built, it could be a ubiquitous design in some locations.

Now that I think about it...

 

[robject]

It looks like it's got a pretty serious drive section, there. At least the center-rear section looks like it displaces a lot of volume compared with the rest of the ship.

 

[GypsyComet]

I have a preliminary build which is, with bevels and rounding, within the acceptable 20% variance for 200 tons. I'm getting used to a new drawing package, so this is not ready for primetime yet, and is, at the moment, more shortened aft than the art suggests. If I narrow the hull by much I will need to either lengthen it or put a matching hump or something of similar size on the underside if I want to keep it at 200 tons.

The same arrangement, rendered a bit flatter top to bottom, can also be used for a 400 ton ship by saying the grid is 2m instead of 1.5m, or as a 100 ton hull a bit more stout of cross-section by saying the grid is 1m.

 

[Ulsyus]

It looks like it's got a pretty serious drive section, there. At least the center-rear section looks like it displaces a lot of volume compared with the rest of the ship.

I had thought of it as a trader, and that centre-rear section as a double-deck cargo space with the drives to each side and any awkward spaces resulting from the hull curvature being used for fuel.

That said, a more custom version my have moved beefier drives and a power plant into that part of the hull.