MgT2300AD warp frame and shuttles

[McPerth]

This is the conversión for MgT2300 AD of the jump frame and barges presented in this thread:

Warp Frame	TL 11	-	Tonage	Price (MLv)
2000 dton hull	hull	40	2000	200
-	structure	40	-	-
Streamlining	N/A. Modular structure	-	-	-20
Armor	0	-	-	-
Stutterwarp Drive	Unloaded	1.73	1.1	3.29
New Commercial K	Loaded	1.01	-	-
-	Tactical	2	-	-
Power Plant	MHD New Commercial K	-	4.76	1
Radiators	K	-	0.476	0.0238
Bridge	-	-	40	10
Computer	Model 3 (bis)	Rating 15 (+5)	-	3
Software	Maneover	Rating 0	-	-
-	Stutterwarp Control/B	Rating 10	-	0.2
-	Auto Repair/1	Rating 10	-	5
-	Library	Rating 0	-	-
Electronic/sensors	Basic Civilian	Modifier -2	1	0.05
Fuel	20 days	-	168	-
Cargo	None	-	-	-
Crew Staterooms	17	-	68	1.7
Deep hibernation berth	3	-	1.5	0.3
Other Features	Ship's locker	-	-	-
-	Escape Pods	17	8.5	1.7
-	Autodoc	1	0.5	1
-	Luxury Dinning	17 people	4.25	0.2125
-	Recreation Facilities	17 people	1.7	0.0085
-	Repair Drones	-	20	4
-	Docking Clamps	8 x 200 dton shuttles	80	16
Spin Habitat	Spun hull	-	-	20
Confort	+1	-	-	-
Subcrafts	200 dton shuttles	8	1600	Variable
Totals	-	-	0.214	247.4848

The Steer Wheel warp frame is designed as a doughnut shape with the Warp engines in the center, united to the main frame by 4 pylons with ladders inside for maintenance and engineering functions (quite similar to a CT laboratory ship).

Distributed equidistant along the circumference there aret he 8 docking clamps for the landing shuttles.

The inside layout has 6 meters whide and 3.5 high, forming is as a long corridor (about 260 meters long), having an external radius of 42 meters. Along this corridor, the bridge, fuel tanks, MHD plant and crew areas are distributed.

The whole structure spins a little over 2 RPM, giving the crew a simulated gravity just over 0.2 G.

The shuttles dock by the nose, expanding from there, giving the full combo some semblance with a ship’s steer wheel (hence the name of the class)

The frame has a crew of 17: 11 bridge crew, 3 engineering, 1 medic and 2 stewards. As it is expected to stay for time without docking, accomodations are quite luxurious for the crew, making the ship a sought duty.

EDIT: this ship has been fully redesigned in post #5 this same thread.

 

[McPerth]

Passenger Shuttle	TL 11	-	Tonage	Price (MLv)
200 dton hull	hull	4	200	4
-	structure	4	-	-
Streamlining	Standard	-	-	-
Landing Roll	0	-	-	-
Take off roll	0	-	-	-
Armor	0	-	-	-
Heat Shielding	-	-	-	-
Reaction Drive	SSTO rocket B	2G	3	8
Cockpit	-	-	3	1
Computer	Model 1	Rating 5	-	0.03
Software	Maneover	Rating 0	-	Included
-	Intellect/2	Rating2	-	0.05
-	Expert pilot (spacecraft)/3	Rating3	-	0.1
-	Library	Rating 0	-	Included
Electronics/sensors	Standard	Modifier -4	-	Included
Fuel	5 hours	-	80	-
Crew staterooms	3	Double occupancy	12	0.3
Passenger staterooms	16	16 Passengers	64	1.6
Luxury Suites	2	4 Luxury Passengers	16	1
Other Features	Ship's Locker	-	-	-
-	Escape pods	26	13	2.6
-	Autodoc	1	0.5	1
-	Luxury dinning room	26 people	6.5	0.325
-	Recreation Facilities	20 people	2	0.01
Spin habitat	See notes	-	-	-
Confort	+1/ +3/ +4	Crew/ passengers/ luxury passengers	-	-
Totals	-	-	0	22.015

The shuttles have a 8 metter diameter and about 45 meter long cylindrical shape ended as cones at the nose.

The inside layout is a moving cylinder containing the líving area (similar to the beanstalk capsules) with expandable fuel tanks at both ends, and the SSTO rocket at the bottom of all. This líving area is distributed in 7 floors. On the lower one there are the 2 luxury rooms. The second to lower contains the dining and recreative areas. The next 4 floors hold 4 saterooms each, while the upper one holds the bridge, the crew líving area and the autodoc. Lacking power plant, power to move this mobile compartment comes from the frame.

Due to balance reasons, the fuel is on the lower tank at the moment of the take off, being transferred to the upper one when docked to the frame so that the staterooms are at the maximum radius possible from the center of the spinning frame, giving a higher simulated gravity the lower deck on is at (hence the moving of the living area along the room and the distribution with the best rooms are at the bottom).

When fully docked to the frame, the luxury rooms spin with a radius of nearly 85 meters, while the crew area spins with a radius of about 64 meters, the standard staterooms being in between. For passenger confort is customary to fill the lower staterooms first.

While the shuttle is capable of 2 G acceleration, it’s customary to keep the acceleration lower for passenger confort on take off or landing opperations.

The crew is formed by 6 stewards. Usually one of them may also pilot the shuttle, but the operation can be fully automated, and another keeps the life suport as engineer, but those functions can also be handled from the frame.

 

[McPerth]

Cargo shuttle	TL 11	-	Tonage	Price (MLv)
200 dton hull	hull	4	200	4
-	structure	4	-	-
Streamlining	Standard	-	-	-
Landing roll	0	-	-	-
Take off roll	0	-	-	-
Armor	0	-	-	-
Heat Shielding	-	-	-	2
Reaction Drive	SSTO rocket B	2G	3	8
Cockpit	-	-	2	1
Computer	Model 1	Rating 5	-	0.03
Software	Maneover	Rating 0	-	Included
-	Intellect/2	Rating 2	-	0.05
-	Expert Pilot (spacecraft)/3	-	0.1
Electronics/sensors	Standard	Modifier -4	Included	Included
Fuel	5 hours	-	80	-
Cargo	-	-	115	-
Staterooms	None	-	-	-
Totals	-	-	0	15.18

The cargo shuttle is externally identical to the passenger one, but its internal layout is just a cargo hold, drives and fuel tanks. It is fully automated, depending on the frame crew and drones for any work needed.

It maintains the lift like compartiment inside to help loading/unloading operations.

 

[McPerth]

The Steer Wheel ships serve mostly on zones where no good interface exists, the frame left in orbit discharging the stutterwarp while the shuttles land for loading/unloading opperations.

The fact of using their own interface systems also helps to make some extra profit by saving the quite high interface costs.

The system can easily transport up to 920 dton of cargo or up to 160 passengers at decent speeds among colonies whose interface infrastructure is not well developed.

 

[McPerth]

After some more experrience in designing MgT 2300 ships, I fully redesigned it. Aside form fixing some crew issues, it is now equiped with a fision plant and better stuterwarp.

Warp Frame	TL 11	-	Tonage	Price (MLv)
2000 dton hull	hull	40	2000	200
-	structure	40	-	-
Streamlining	N/A. Modular structure	-	-	-20
Armor	0	-	-	-
Stutterwarp Drive	Unloaded	3.161	2.03	6.09
New Commercial P	2 shuttles	2.5	-	-
-	4 Shuttles	2.19	-	-
-	6-8 shuttles	1.85	-	-
-	Tactical	4	-	-
Power Plant	Fission P	-	110	16
Radiators	Radiators P	-	11	0.55
Bridge	-	-	40	10
Computer	Model 3 (bis)	Rating 15 (+5)	-	3
Software	Maneover	Rating 0	-	-
-	Stutterwarp Control/B	Rating 10	-	0.2
-	Auto Repair/1	Rating 10	-	5
-	Library	Rating 0	-	-
Electronic/sensors	Basic Civilian	Modifier -2	1	0.05
Cargo	-	2.5	-	-
Crew Staterooms	27	-	108	2.7
Deep hibernation berth	3	-	1.5	0.3
Other Features	Ship's locker	-	-	-
-	Escape Pods	27	13.5	2.7
-	Autodoc	2	1	0.05
-	Luxury Dinning	27 people	6.75	0.3375
-	Recreation Facilities	27 people	2.7	0.0135
-	Repair Drones	-	20	4
-	Docking Clamps	8 x 200 dton shuttles	80	16
Spin Habitat	Spun hull	-	-	20
Confort	+2	-	-	-
Subcrafts	200 dton shuttles	8	1600	Variable
Totals	-	-	0.02	266.991

Note 1: actual WE limited to 3 due to software ​

The Steer Wheel warp frame is designed as a doughnut shape with the Warp engines and power plant in the center, united to the main frame by 8 pylons with ladders inside for maintenance and engineering functions (quite similar to a CT laboratory ship).

Distributed equidistant along the circumference there are the 8 docking clamps for the landing shuttles. They coincide with the pylons that lead to the engineering rooms for better structural integrity.

The inside layout has 7.5 meters whide and 2.4 high, It mainly is formed by a long 1.5 meter central corridor with staterooms at both sides. The Bridge and dinning and recreational areas are without the corridor. In all, the circumference is about 224 meter long, with an external radius of about 35 meters.

The whole structure spins a little over 2 RPM, giving the crew a simulated gravity about 0.16 G.

The shuttles dock by the nose, expanding from there, giving the full combo some semblance with a ship’s steer wheel (hence the name of the class). Due ot balance reasons, they must be docked in pairs, at opposite ends of the circumference.

The frame has a crew of 27: 6 command, 12 bridge crew, 6 engineering and 3 stewards. As it is expected to stay for time without docking, accomodations are quite luxurious for the crew, making the ship a sought duty.

 

[McPerth]

Fighter module:

Item	-	-	tons	MLv
Hull 80 tons	hull	1	80	1.8
-	Structure	1	-	-
Streamining	None (modular)	-	-	-0.18
Armor	none	-	-	-
Reaction Drives	Thruster A	1 G	2	4
Power Plant	New Commercial A	-	0.48	0.1
Radiators	Radiators A	-	0.048	0.0024
Bridge	Cabin	-	1.5	0.4
Computer	Model 1	Rating 5	-	0.03
Software	Maneuver	Rating 0	-	-
Electronics/sensors	Basic Military	-	2	3
Fuel	Thrusters	2 hours	3.2	-
-	Power Plant	12 hours	5.88	-
Cargo	-	-	10	-
Staterooms	Crew	9	36	0.9
Spin Habitat	Per jump frame	-	-	-
Other Fixtures	Autodoc	1	0.5	0.025
-	Recreation facilities	18 people	1.8	0.09
-	Luxury dinning	18 people	5	0.25
-	Brieffing room	-	4	0.5
-	Docking clamps for 20 dton craft	6	6	3
Totals	-	-	1.59	9.7974

Crew is 18 people: 1 bridge (cabin), 3 engineering, 2 steward and 12 flight (the fighters crew). Confort is +3.

This module is a whole deviation from the previous ones, being developed to convert a frame into an improvised carrier. Each module may carry up to 6 fighters externally mounted, along with their crews. Once the fighters are attached, the module displaces 200 tons. As the maintenance crew cannot be caried, though, the frame needs to carry some passengers modules for them. The only so equiped frame to now is expected to carry 6 fighter and 2 passenger modules, so deploying a full 36 fighters wing.

It has no atmospheric capability, with the thrusters being only to move it from an orbital station to the frame and to dock with it.

History:

At the same time that the Germans where developing the German Raumjäger "Grenadier" some of their strategists claimed they should have some kind of carrier to take them to combat, not only using them defensively.

Desinging a carrier, though, was largely out of budget, and would have taken time. Nonetheless, a shipbuilder suggested to use some of the Steerwheel frames already in German inventory as such, by developing modules to carry the fighters externally.

This proved to be a cheap and quick to build alternative, and the first examples (enough for a jump frame) have just been built and are training their fighter complements and performing shake down tours.

 

[McPerth]

When I designed this ship, I didn't think about a specific country as its builder. So, what country do you think this ship most feels as being built by?

I think I added to the poll all the candidates (enough tech, some space presence, shipbuilding capacity, etc), but I added the "other" option to allow for any country I forgot, or even for private companies or fundations (as ARI, Life Fundation or Trilion, or maybe others).

 

[Brandon C]

Another use of a jump frame would be to extend the range of smaller stutterwarp ships. For example, the jump frame foes it's destination system, then the stutterwarp ships it is carrying (which have not been using their stutterwarp drives0 can immediately leave for a father destination radiating out from the jump jump frame's destination. The Thoorez-class is a likely candidate for this, but newer ships with better stutterwarp drives are possible.

As far as which country builds them ... really just about any Tier 1 or 2 nation makes since, and I could see several versions all roughly similar in game terms.

 

[McPerth]

You mean as space tug, as told in several sources to increase the range to up to 11.5 ly?

That's a very good idea I had not thought about...

Its use will be limited to 200 dton ships, as the Thorez you say (or your own EC-200 series), but it could be quite useful in this role too...

The only drawback will be that it must tug them in pairs, as otherwise it will lose the spin balance (carrying a shuttle at the other end of the ship will have the same problem for the return part, once the carried ship has been released).

 

[Ulsyus]

Which country built it could be open to a wiiiiide range of opinions. I've picked Germany because:

• It's an ascendant power looking to expand it's already extra-solar presence
• Deutsch industry will be looking for ways to enhance trade between them and anyone else who's willing to engage
• It's a ubiquitous design that could be of benefit to colonial industry, the very arm that Germany wants to see succeed so as to enhance it's power and reach
• It can be used to assist French trade, which will only make the Germans more determined to gain a slice of that pie rather than let all Frankish trade go through the Empire's hands.

That said, I suppose a number of those points could be used for any ambitious spacefaring power, but the utility of your design suggested German design efficiency to me.

 

[Brandon C]

You mean as space tug, as told in several sources to increase the range to up to 11.5 ly?

I was thinking it could be used both to carry cargo/passenger modules to a destination system and to extend the range of stutterwarp ships in the same size class as the modules that would then head out to fringe systems that get lower amounts of traffic.

For example, in the French Arm, Beta Canum Venaticorum is both a good destination for traffic and a hub for travel onwards to several other systems.

Its use will be limited to 200 dton ships, as the Thorez you say (or your own EC-200 series), but it could be quite useful in this role too...

This is fine, since if larger cargo/passenger ships were justified in visiting a system, such a ship to have a regular (unaided) route there.

The only drawback will be that it must tug them in pairs, as otherwise it will lose the spin balance (carrying a shuttle at the other end of the ship will have the same problem for the return part, once the carried ship has been released).

Actually, I could see a jump frame operating with a maximum load of modules and ships that won't drop speed under about 1 ly/day.

 

[mike wightman]

If you want it to be a common sight then the super power of the setting - France - is the builder.

 

[McPerth]

If you want it to be a common sight then the super power of the setting - France - is the builder.

Not necessarly (though they are good candidates too, not saying I'm against your opinion).

Germany or OK may make it also a common sight in the French arm, while Argentina, Brazil, Canton or Manchuria (or Canada, though not so much) in the Chinese arm, and US or Australia in the American arm...

And private companies or corporations (as Trylon or Life Fundation) might also use them in any arm...

And remember, Japan and Germany have colonies (or former ones) in several arms...

 

[BRJN]

This "sounds" like a kitbash using components designed by somebody else for a different purpose, put together to create something new and unintended. Indonesia therefore comes to mind.
Put a docking mount for a Metal module on the nose, or a "cargo pod" that actually tacks some Mammoth cargo containers together, and you have a ship that is trying to horn in on somebody else's merchantile traffic.

 

[McPerth]

This "sounds" like a kitbash using components designed by somebody else for a different purpose, put together to create something new and unintended.

Interesting point, though it's not what was intended...

In fact, IMHO, few of the components are too useful alone, though...