Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
And here's an example of what happens when you do an Analysis of Alternatives centering around the original premise.
280 tons starship hull, configuration: 1 (MCr33.6)
45 tons for LBB2.81 standard D/D/D drives (codes: 2/2/2, TL=9, EP=8) (MCr88)
82 tons of total fuel: 280 tons @ J2 = 56 tons jump fuel + 20 tons power plant fuel
0 tons for fuel scoops (MCr0.28)
9 tons for TL=9 fuel purification plant (200 ton capacity is minimum) (MCr0.038)
20 tons for bridge (800 ton rating, MCr4)
2 tons for model/2 computer (MCr9)
120 tons for hangar berths capacity (MCr0.24)
- Fighter Provincial = 30 tons
- Stateroom Box = 30 tons (5x high passengers) (5x staterooms, laboratory: V-c life support for 5)
- Stateroom Box = 30 tons (starship pilot, small craft pilot, navigator, engineer/engineer, gunner) (5x staterooms, laboratory: V-c life support for 5)
- Stateroom Box = 30 tons (purser/purser, steward/steward, medic, 2x high passengers) (5x staterooms, laboratory: V-c life support for 5)
- 121 ton capacity collapsible fuel tank = 1.21 tons (MCr0.0605)
- 6 person/weeks life support consumables reserves = 0.04 tons
= 45+82+0+9+20+2+120+2 = 280 tons
= 33.6+88+0.28+0.038+4+9+0.24+1.04+0.0605 = MCr136.2585
- 1G = 800 - 280 = 520 tons external load
- 2G = 400 - 280 = 120 tons external load
=====
Fighter Provincial (Type-FP, TL=9)
30 ton small craft hull, configuration: 1 (MCr3.6)
0 tons for Armor: 0 (TL=9)
5.1 tons for LBB5.80 custom Maneuver-6 (Agility=6 requires 1.8 EP) (MCr2.55)
11.4 tons for LBB5.80 custom Power Plant-A (EP=3.8) (MCr34.2)
0.23 tons for LBB5.80 jump capacitors (EP=8.28 capacity) (MCr0.92)
1.25 tons for fuel (6d 12h 8m endurance @ 3.8 EP output continuous)
6 tons for bridge (crew: 2, pilot, gunner, acceleration couches life support endurance: 12-24 hours) (MCr0.15)
3 tons for model/3 computer (TL=9, EP: 1) (MCr18)
1 ton for mixed triple turret: missile, pulse laser, missile (TL=A, batteries: 3, codes: 1/1/1, EP: 1, 3 missiles per battery, 12 reloads in turret shared between missile launchers) (MCr3.35)
* External Docking: 225 tons capacity (MCr0.45)
2 tons for 1x single occupancy small craft staterooms (MCr0.1)
0.02 tons for cargo hold
- 3 person/weeks life support consumables reserves = 0.02 tons
= 0+5.1+11.4+0.23+1.25+6+3+1+2+0.02 = 30 tons
= 3.6+2.55+34.2+0.92+0.15+18+3.35+0.45+0.1 = MCr63.32 (18x HE Missiles = MCr0.09, bought after completing construction)
- 1G = 255 - 30 = 225 tons external load
- 2G = 102 - 30 = 72 tons external load
- 3G = 63.75 - 30 ≈ 33 tons external load
- 4G = 46.36 - 30 ≈ 16 tons external load
- 5G = 36.428 - 30 ≈ 6 tons external load
- 6G = 30 - 30 = 0 tons external load
=====
Stateroom Box (Type-RU, TL=9)
30 ton small craft hull, configuration: 4 (MCr1.8)
0 tons for Armor: 0 (TL=9)
20 tons for 5x single occupancy starship staterooms (MCr2.5)
10 tons for laboratory: V-c regenerative biome life support for 5 persons) (MCr2)
* External Docking: 6x 30 = 180 tons capacity (MCr0.36)
0 tons for cargo hold
= 0+20+10+0 = 30 tons
= 1.8+2.5+2+0.36 = MCr6.66
=====
Laboratory Box (Type-LU, TL=9)
30 ton small craft hull, configuration: 4 (MCr1.8)
0 tons for Armor: 0 (TL=9)
30 tons for laboratory (MCr6)
* External Docking: 6x 30 = 180 tons capacity (MCr0.36)
0 tons for cargo hold
= 0+30+0 = 30 tons
= 1.8+6+0.36 = MCr8.16
=====
Environment Box (Type-LU, TL=9)
30 ton small craft hull, configuration: 4 (MCr1.8)
0 tons for Armor: 0 (TL=9)
30 tons for environment tank (MCr3)
* External Docking: 6x 30 = 180 tons capacity (MCr0.36)
0 tons for cargo hold
= 0+30+0 = 30 tons
= 1.8+3+0.36 = MCr5.16
=====
Cargo Box (Type-AU, TL=9)
30 ton small craft hull, configuration: 4 (MCr1.8)
0 tons for Armor: 0 (TL=9)
* External Docking: 6x 30 = 180 tons capacity (MCr0.36)
30 tons for cargo hold
= 0+30 = 30 tons
= 1.8+0.36 = MCr2.16
=====
Crew = 8 (Cr37,350 per 4 weeks crew salaries)
- Pilot-1 = Cr6000
- Ship's Boat-1 = Cr6000
- Navigator-1 = Cr5000
- Engineering-2/Engineering-2 = Cr6600
- Steward-1/Steward-1 (purser) = Cr5400
- Steward-1/Steward-1 = Cr4950
- Medical-3 = Cr2400
- Gunnery-1 = Cr1000
=====
Single Production (100% construction cost): starship + fighter escort + 4x stateroom boxes + (18x HE Missiles)
- 136.2585 + 63.32 + 6.66 + 2*6.66*0.8 = MCr216.8945 + (0.09) = MCr216.9845
- 136.2585*0.8 + 63.32*0.8 + 3*6.66*0.8 = MCr175.6468 + (0.09) = MCr175.7368
So the obvious difference here is the foundational unit of standardization for modularized container shipping ... 30 tons (this post) vs 24 tons (post #640). Some interesting differences that emerge are:
- The 30 ton Fighter Provincial is significantly more expensive to construct/maintain because the 30 ton version drops 1 missile battery in favor of 1 pulse laser battery (which can be used both offensively and defensively against missiles). The +1 EP budget requirement in order to power the pulse laser then translates into +3 tons of TL=9 power plant required, which then in turn increases construction costs by +MCr9 in order to support the power demand of the pulse laser ... so not a "cheap" upgrade by any means. However, arming the fighter with a laser means that "deep magazine" capacity becomes a factor in terms of combat longevity.
- The 30 ton Fighter does something which I haven't done in previous small craft designs (so this is entirely new!) ... it adds a limited jump capacity "battery reserve" to the capabilities. The EP reserve is sufficient for 2 combat rounds @ 3.8 EP expenditure (full combat power demand for agility, computer and pulse laser) in the event of a fuel hit and/or a power plant shutdown. In MOST combat situations, this won't be terribly relevant (since you can't "spend" more EP per combat round than you power plant can generate at max power) ... but this kind of 2 combat rounds on jump capacitor "battery" EP onlycreates some unexpected edge cases.
- For "blockade runner" situations, it means that it's possible to fly into sensor range without emitting neutrinos from a fusion power plant (effectively, "silent running"). Neutrino sensors are a TL=10 development, so a small craft of 30 tons that has no active fusion reactor may be easily misidentified as a "non-hostile transient object" rather than as a threat, since MOST combatant craft will be generating plentiful neutrinos from their fusion reactor(s) onboard. This then makes all kinds of "inertial drifting past sensor nets" while operating on backup power a possibility, creating (roleplaying) opportunities for surprise maneuvers and feints. It also makes it possible to launch from a surface and climb up a gravity well without without emitting neutrinos that can be picked up on sensors controlled by adversaries. This means that all kinds of "cleverness" by fighter crews can yield unexpectedly decisive outcomes.
- For emergency/disaster situations (no fuel!), it means that there is limited endurance maneuvering power available. This can be used to avoid hazards (unwanted orbital impact intercepts) or escape from gravity wells on (jump capacitor) "battery power" only. Being able to stabilize the small craft following a loss of all fuel and assume a course towards rescue/recovery has some significant value.
- For scuttling/suicide situations, the inclusion of jump capacitors into the design makes for an extremely reliable means of scuttling the small craft ... simply overcharge the jump capacitors beyond their limit and
- For routine jump operations, the starship's Jump-D drives will need 16 EP in order to initiate J2. The starship's Power Plant-D drives can supply 8 EP per combat round (LBB5.80), so on starship power alone it will take 2 combat rounds of generating 8 EPs dedicated exclusively to the jump drives in order to J2 (only 1 combat round in order to J1). However, if the fighter's jump capacitor "battery" remains unused and holds 8 EP of charge reserve, those 8 EP can be transferred/made available to the starship ... which along with the 8 EP of the starship's power plant generation would be the 16 EP needed to initiate J2 in 1 combat round, rather than 2. Whether or not this would "work" would be at the Referee's discretion (I would argue that hangar bay vs cargo hold would be a deciding factor here for these kinds of power links/transfers, particularly if the craft in question are designed to enable this).
- For "blockade runner" situations, it means that it's possible to fly into sensor range without emitting neutrinos from a fusion power plant (effectively, "silent running"). Neutrino sensors are a TL=10 development, so a small craft of 30 tons that has no active fusion reactor may be easily misidentified as a "non-hostile transient object" rather than as a threat, since MOST combatant craft will be generating plentiful neutrinos from their fusion reactor(s) onboard. This then makes all kinds of "inertial drifting past sensor nets" while operating on backup power a possibility, creating (roleplaying) opportunities for surprise maneuvers and feints. It also makes it possible to launch from a surface and climb up a gravity well without without emitting neutrinos that can be picked up on sensors controlled by adversaries. This means that all kinds of "cleverness" by fighter crews can yield unexpectedly decisive outcomes.
- The 24 ton form factor made it possible to have 8x high passengers, while the 30 ton form factor means that only 7x high passengers can be carried.
- 1G small craft drive performance under external loads limitation:
- 22.5 ton Fighter Escort = 168 tons external load limit = 7x 24 tons ... or 152 ton big craft @ 110%
- 30 ton Fighter Provincial = 225 tons external load limit = 7x 30 tons ... or 204 ton big craft @ 110%
- Of these two options, in a Search & Rescue/Salvage & Recovery context, the higher external load capacity of the 30 ton Fighter Provincial is likely to be more useful in a wider array of circumstances, because there are "plenty" of 200 ton (or less) big craft in operation.
