Modular Components to modify Ship Designs

[AnotherDilbert]

A 100 Dt subhull would be something like this:

100 Dt, MCr 13.5, 95 Dt cargo:

TL-12  YP-AS00                       Ergo 1   Comfort 0    Demand 0        Agility 0
       Subhull Pod                   Total:         0          13,4        Stability 1
SYSTEM                                    #       DTON         COST    
                                                                       
Hull                                              100                  
Config: Streamlined                                             7,5    
Structure: Plate Kinetic       AV=12 ( 120 vs Blast, 1200 vs Heat/Beam, 120 vs Pres, 1200 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )    
Coating:                       AV= 0 (  )    
Armour Std Anti-Rad                       1                          AV=12 ( 120 vs Blast, 1200 vs H/B, 1200 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )    
Landing Skids Tarmac                                                    
Floatation Water Landing                            1           1      
Lifters Installed                                               0,5    
Grapple Can be carried in grapp           3         3           3      
                                                                       
Console, Control Gen C+S=11               1         0,5         0,1      
Computer Gen m/0/bis                      1         0,5         0,3    
                                                                       
Sensors                                                                
D  Porth-5 +5A-- P(Phot)                  1                            
Gen SR Surf Steal-12 -12A-- P(A           1                     1      
                                                                       
Standard Air Lock                         1                            
                                                                       
Cargo                                              95

 

[kilemall]

A 100 Dt subhull would be something like this:

100 Dt, MCr 13.5, 95 Dt cargo:

TL-12  YP-AS00                       Ergo 1   Comfort 0    Demand 0        Agility 0
       Subhull Pod                   Total:         0          13,4        Stability 1
SYSTEM                                    #       DTON         COST   
                                                                      
Hull                                              100                 
Config: Streamlined                                             7,5   
Structure: Plate Kinetic       AV=12 ( 120 vs Blast, 1200 vs Heat/Beam, 120 vs Pres, 1200 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )   
Coating:                       AV= 0 (  )   
Armour Std Anti-Rad                       1                          AV=12 ( 120 vs Blast, 1200 vs H/B, 1200 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )   
Landing Skids Tarmac                                                   
Floatation Water Landing                            1           1     
Lifters Installed                                               0,5   
Grapple Can be carried in grapp           3         3           3     
                                                                      
Console, Control Gen C+S=11               1         0,5         0,1     
Computer Gen m/0/bis                      1         0,5         0,3   
                                                                      
Sensors                                                               
D  Porth-5 +5A-- P(Phot)                  1                           
Gen SR Surf Steal-12 -12A-- P(A           1                     1     
                                                                      
Standard Air Lock                         1                           
                                                                      
Cargo                                              95

Hmmm 100 tons?

That rings a bell- the original CT Corsair.

As presented 100 tons is a loot bin/small craft raider hangar, but maybe the backstory to the original design was it was a modular plan.

Maybe if you design the space to carry a Type S, a scout support design? Quick react jump, drop the carried S that then immediately jumps to further destination, and retrieval craft for salvage/rescue?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

That rings a bell- the original CT Corsair.

As presented 100 tons is a loot bin/small craft raider hangar, but maybe the backstory to the original design was it was a modular plan.

I don't remember the design reqs. but with decent sensors and a stealth mask, I guess it's a light military transport; the last leg of interstellar logistics. It has external modules (pods), so it can be configured for J-1, J-2, or J-3 as currently needed.

Maybe if you design the space to carry a Type S, a scout support design? Quick react jump, drop the carried S that then immediately jumps to further destination, and retrieval craft for salvage/rescue?

With a Scout and 30 Dt drop tank, it can do J-2, drop the Scout, and do another J-2 without refuelling.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

MgT2 is more flexible as it has mechanisms for both internal modules and external pods.

Example:
100 Dt, MCr 20, J-2 (J-1 with 100 Dt external load), 1 single token stateroom, 70 Dt cargo (and no jump fuel)
Can carry up to a 30 Dt drop tank and/or 20 Dt internal demountable tanks).
Three 1 Dt internal modules for external grapples, better sensors, and perhaps a turret?
Each optional grapple can carry an external 35 Dt pod or small craft.
Additional staterooms (or other mission modules) can be carried in standard containers in the cargo hold.




Deck plan:

All modules are required to have a access corridor down the middle, to give access to the rear and engineering.


As a J-2 Scout it can be configured with a 20 Dt demountable tank and a 20 Dt habitation container, which leaves 30 Dt cargo, round off with better sensors and a turret.
As a J-1 Free Trader it can be configured with, say, a 20 Dt drop tank, two external 30 Dt pods, and a 20 Dt small craft. The cargo hold can fit a 10 Dt habitation container for extra crew, a couple of 20 Dt hab. containers for 8 passangers, leaving 20 Dt cargo (plus 60 Dt in the pods).

Cheap, effective, and can quickly be reconfigured for changing requirements for a fraction of the cost of a new ship...

 

[AnotherDilbert]

If we want to be really ridiculous we can abuse the MgT2 breakaway hull mechanism to make optional drive pods that can add their performance. Not cheap though...

https://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/threads/the-lego-ship-system.120111/

Here we can add pods (breakaway sections) with extra drives that are cumulative. So if we have a J-1 ship, add a drive pod, now we have a J-2 ship. Or extra cargo pods, or passenger pods, or something...

We can start with a basic 100 Dt configuration, add pods as needed, and have a high performance 400 Dt ship after a while.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

For a larger example we have the "Jump Train"; a base hull (engine) carrying external pods (carriages) for long range transport on major trade routes. By varying the amount of carriages we can vary the jump performance of the train up to J-6.

https://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/threads/jump-train.118716/

A basic economic estimate gives an idea of what shipping prices on the major trade routes could be:
https://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/threads/jump-train.118716/post-899558

 

[Spinward Flow]

The LCS (Little Crappy Ships) sacrificed EVERYTHING upon the altar of wishful thinking.

I hadn't paid too much attention to the LCS program for the past several years ... but it's curious to see how things have shaken out with the competing designs.

The LCS was originally supposed to have a crew complement of 40.
Ultimately, they need just shy of 100 crew.

The Freedom class has a fundamental engineering flaw in the drive system, so it's getting retired faster with only a few kept for surface warfare.
The Independence (trimaran) class looks like it is going to be turned into a minesweeper specialist, with a lot more ships kept in service.

The extreme sprint speed meant that both classes had lousy endurance in the Pacific theater.
Mission module swaps that should have taken hours, instead took WEEKS (so that didn't work as planned).

So yeah, definitely an example of how NOT to build a modular "hot swap" ship design.

 

[Condottiere]

Mission creep.

Originally, meant to be a a close in knife fighter, and I guess at some point they saw it as a successor to the Oliver Hazard Perry class.

 

[Spinward Flow]

The hilarious thing, is that the original concept for the LCS (which turned into the Freedom and Independence classes) was the "Streetfighter" class concept. The Streetfighter was functionally a manned swarm concept (lots of little ships, losses are both acceptable and expected when push comes to shove). So yes, very much a knife fighter type that was meant to be cheap (per unit) and plentiful ... because Quantity Has A Quality All Of Its Own.

And then the USN proceeded to corrupt and bastardize the original concept beyond all recognition into the delusionally fanciful notion that All You Need Is Speed (as if a surface ship can outrun missile tracking).

Compounding the irony is that what the USN really wanted was "a frigate that wasn't a frigate" ... which makes as much sense as it sounds.

 

[Condottiere]

No one likes to be considered cannon fodder.

So, if you miss out the part about armour, than you better have speed and firepower.

Even Motor Torpedo Boats hit high speeds and had an equalizer, ye aforementioned torpedo.

 

[infojunky]

The hilarious thing, is that the original concept for the LCS (which turned into the Freedom and Independence classes) was the "Streetfighter" class concept. The Streetfighter was functionally a manned swarm concept (lots of little ships, losses are both acceptable and expected when push comes to shove). So yes, very much a knife fighter type that was meant to be cheap (per unit) and plentiful ... because Quantity Has A Quality All Of Its Own.

And then the USN proceeded to corrupt and bastardize the original concept beyond all recognition into the delusionally fanciful notion that All You Need Is Speed (as if a surface ship can outrun missile tracking).

Compounding the irony is that what the USN really wanted was "a frigate that wasn't a frigate" ... which makes as much sense as it sounds.

Honestly as it was originally described to me was a capital ship for the Brown Water Navy. The USN isn't fond of the Brown Water Navy, as I said before the Line is mostly made up of Line Officers frequently Line Officers who came from Aviation.

Remember Littoral literally means shore to the edge of the Continental shelf.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Remember Littoral literally means shore to the edge of the Continental shelf.

Remember that the Zumwalts, as a class, were intended to be 16k ton littoral ships that would maneuver in close to shore so as to attack land based defenses from under the cover of ... daylight ...

Nah.
There are NO FLAWS in this plan, whatsoever!

"Damn the torpedoes shoreline! Full speed ahead!"

Insert Lighthouse Joke here.

 

[Condottiere]

Would have worked, if the opposition remained low tech insurgencies, that were active within gun range of the shore.

I think if they could design a railgun with relative cheap ammunition, that could target anti ship missiles, plus intermediate range missiles for counterstrike, or whatever the Navy uses for anti ballistic missile defence, the Zumwalts are going to become rather active in the Pacific.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I think if they could design a railgun with relative cheap ammunition, that could target anti ship missiles, plus intermediate range missiles for counterstrike, or whatever the Navy uses for anti ballistic missile defence

Gauss cannons and lasers are DEFINITELY the solution to the "reach out and touch you" problem(s) for both offensive and defensive applications.

Gauss cannons for indirect fire and airburst requirements.
Lasers for "point 'n' click" direct line of sight requirements.

Both options are incredibly energy intensive from an electrical power demand perspective to energize either type of weapon.

 

[Condottiere]

That's where warships with really large generators come in.

The Zumwalts qualify.