The Scout Project

[esampson]

Playing Traveller back in the 80's on of the most common ships, for me, was the type S Scout/Courier. It had a good range, could carry an entire adventuring group (albeit in some cases it might be a bit cramped), refuel for free in most cases and it didn't come with the overhead of ship payments that the merchant ship typically did.

Whenever we made a party one of us, inevitably, had to be the scout (unless someone was keen on playing a merchant with a ship) and had to generate up a scout with a ship as a mustering out benefit.

The type S was also the basis for the type J Seeker and in theory was converted into a lot of other configurations.

With that in mind I decided to start up the Scout Project. The idea was to make a Scout/Courier using the new Traveller⁵ rules that would abide by anything written in the T⁵ Core Rules (tech level, tons of cargo, etc.).

This was pretty easy but as an additional challenge I wanted to try and make it as close to the original map from Traders and Gunboats as possible. The reason for this is two fold. For one these are the deckplans that I remember so fondly. Of course I could build the new ship in a completely different style, but for me it just wouldn't be a 'real' Scout/Courier. For another I wanted to try to preserve a little piece of our classic Traveller heritage, updating it to the latest rules while remaining as true as possible to the original.

Having created the map as close as I think I can manage I hope to publish variants of the design based upon ships that have been sold off and converted to civilian duties, much like the type J. I welcome any and all who would like to do the same as well as any feedback on designs that anyone might have (both from a practical 'that looks like it would be awkward to live in' as well as any errors I may have made in the rules).

And so, without further ado, the Scout/Courier:

 

[esampson]

Scout/Courier

1. Avionics: Located behind a maintenance plate in the bridge this section of the ship contains the Model/1bis computer and the antenna for the radar.
2. Bridge: While designed with the idea of both a pilot and sensor operator using the bridge both seats control full command consoles. The reason for this is so that the second seat can function as a co-pilot if necessary as well as assuming gunnery duties when the ship is operated by a two or three man crew.
3. Walkway: Simply a walkway connecting the bridge and staterooms with the common lounge.
4. Stateroom
5. Stateroom
6. Stateroom
7. Stateroom
8. Common Lounge: This room is where the crew meets for communal meals as well as to relax and unwind.
9. Common fresher: Though the Scout/Courier is often manned by a single scout and is rarely manned by any more than four the design of the Scout/Courier includes a standardized common fresher capable of supporting up to ten individuals rather than earlier designs which had two shared freshers located between pairs of staterooms. It was found that the design did not appreciably impact the total amount of space needed by the crew and that it functioned much better on those occasions where the staterooms were double loaded. Nevertheless it is possible to find many Scout/Couriers using the older design.
10. Engineering: Along with lower engineering (11) this section of the ship contains the maneuvering drives, jump drives, power plant and life support systems of the ship. A control console is available allowing a third crew member to control the engines during critical moments as well as providing easier access to diagnostics if the scouts should need to make any repairs in the field.
11. Lower Engineering: Commonly refereed to as 'the Hole' by scouts this section supplies access to those parts of the jump drive and power plant that are inaccessible through upper engineering (10).
12. Lab/Clinic: Designed with the primary intent of providing laboratory space to scouts in the field conducting research this section serves double duty by containing a selection of emergency medical supplies and tools that all too often prove useful.
13. Air/Raft Berth: Little more than a niche in the hull with large door set in the outer bulkhead.
14. Gunnery: Typically only used when the scout crew has a full compliment of four this area contains a control console designed to use the turret mounted just above. When there are less than four crew members this seat is usually left empty with fire control being handled from the bridge. As the weaponry is removed on Scout/Couriers that are assigned to detached duty or which are sold off the control console for this area is also removed. In those cases this area often becomes a sort of unofficial quiet spot where crew members who need a little alone time can come and look out into space through the viewport that occupies the aft wall.
15. Walkway: Also frequently referred to as 'the Attic' by scouts this hallway connects the gunnery post with the forward sensor array allowing a scout to move from one to the other without having to drop down to the main deck. However, given that it is possible to move from one to the other via the main deck and that such a maneuver is rarely even necessary the hallway is often used as a sort of auxiliary storage space by many scouts (this is against IISS protocols but most administrators recognize the preciousness of space aboard a ship and will turn a blind eye).
    
    One interesting aspect of the current Scout/Courier design are a pair of what are colloquially referred to as 'Kaufin points' (15a and 15b). It is unknown as to why the ship was designed this way or even where the name Kaufin points comes from though theories and legends abound. One legend holds that the original specifications for the forward sensor position called for five and a half tons of displacement instead of four. When the specifications were changed during the eleventh hour a engineer named Kaufin simply added a wall to separate off the remaining ton and a half and attached it to the walkway rather than redesign the bulkhead. Another story holds that originally the Kaufin points were suppose to be sealed off, creating two hidden half ton areas in the ship adjacent to the walkway which could be used by scouts on 'sensitive missions'. However almost immediately after the launch of the first ships of the new design a scout named Kaufin noticed discrepancies in the total volume of fuel stored within the ship and uncovered the hidden areas. Still another story holds that they are in point of fact 'coffin points' and were designed as places to store scouts killed in the line of duty as they were being returned home but that at the last minute it was decided that an official designation of such an area would be bad for morale.
16. Forward Sensor Array: This section contains the sensors that are used by scouts on exploratory missions. This includes the chemical analyzer, the life detection sensors, and the deep radar. In scout ships on detached duty or which have been sold off the sensors are removed and this location often becomes either a secondary lounge or storage.
17. Cargo Hold: Located behind and below the bridge this three ton space is set aside for the storage needs of the crew and scouts are notoriously sensitive about being ordered to store any equipment that might be required for special missions such as a removable mail vault for a scout temporarily pressed into courier duty. Instead the scouts will often prefer to store such things in the lab (assuming their mission will not require the lab), the upper walkway, or even the common lounge before giving up 'personal space'.

    Tons    TL  Component                             MCr    Notes
--------    --  --------------------------------- -------    --------------------
                100 ton lifting body hull              16 
       2     6  Submergence Hull                        4  
       0        Jump Plates                             0.1  
       1        Landing legs with pads                  1  
       0    11  AV=5. 1 Kinetic Shell                     
      10    11  Jump Drive-2 (A)                       10    J 2
       2    10  Maneuver Drive-2 (A)                    4    2 G
       4     9  PowerPlant-2 (A)                        4    P 2
       1     8  Fuel Scoops 100t/hr                     0.1  100t/hr
       1     8  Fuel Intakes 40t/hr                     0.1  40t/hr
       1     8  Fuel Purifiers 4t/hr                    1    4t/hr
      20        Jump Fuel (2  parsecs)                       J2, 10t/pc
       2        Plant Fuel (one month)                       one month
       1.5   9  Computer Model/1bis std                 3    
                Control Consoles (2)                    0.4  
                Operating Consoles (2)                  0.2  
       2        Spacious Controls                            
       0    10  Imp AR Surf Scope                       1.5  
       1    10  Imp AR Ant Radar                        1.5  
       0     9  Imp LR Surf Communicator                2.5  
       1    10  Imp Vd Ant Analyzer/Sniffer             0.6  
       1    11  Imp Vd Ant Life Detector                0.6  
       2    11  Imp Or Ant Deep Radar                   1.8  
       1        Life Support Standard                   1    10 person-months
       8        Crew Single Stateroom (4)               0.4  #4 1 crew
       1        Crew Common Fresher                     1    10 crew
       9        Crew Lounge                              
       3        Passageways                              
       3.5      'Attic'                                  
       2        Clinic                                  1
       4        Lab                                     2 
       4        Air/Raft                              
       2     8  Air/Raft Hull Niche                     1.5
       3        Cargo Hold Basic                   
       1    11  Imp Vd T2 Beam Laser                    1

T5-Sulieman-esampson.pdf

 

[esampson]

Preface

This was meant to preface the map and description for my Scout/Courier but my post was exceeding the character limit and I decided that I wanted to get all the 'crunchy bits' in first.

---------

The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service uses a wide variety of ships. From the far jumping express boats and their tenders to the Donosev class survey ships and the massive Lightning class cruisers that were retrofitted for long range exploration the IISS has made use of ships of nearly every conceivable tonnage and configuration.

Yet throughout the Imperium whenever a person speaks of a 'scout ship' almost invariably they are referring to a single style of ship, the wedged shaped 100-ton Scout/Courier. The reasons for this are simply that the ship is incredibly ubiquitous. With a design that was originally laid down in the early days of the Third Imperium it is a design that has plied the spaceways for over 1000 years and while its internal configurations have changed with the times the basic shape has remained nearly constant; a slender wedge capable of atmospheric flight that lands upon three legs with a dorsal mounted turret.

In addition to the extremely lengthy history of service of the basic Scout/Courier there is the fact that so many have been, and continue to be, produced. Being used for such diverse tasks as exploration, survey, communications, delivery of critical packages, picket duty, and the transportation of diplomats for sensitive missions the IISS has at any given time more Scout/Couriers than all other types of ships in its fleet combined.

As the ships of this vast multitude reach the end of their operational lifespans many of these ships are assigned to retiring scouts as a form of detached duty. Still more are simply sold off where they are stripped and retrofitted to begin new lives as civilian vehicles.

All this; the great number of ships in service, those on detached duty, and those which now fulfill civilian functions, help to insure that the Scout/Courier is the most widely encountered ship within the Imperium.

 

[esampson]

Well, for some reason I'm having difficulty with the attachment. Here is an alternate link:

T5-Sulieman-esampson.pdf

 

[SpaceBadger]

Sounds great so far, although I can't comment on T5 compliance as I don't have it yet.

Sounds a little more spacious that the Type S that I remember; will you be posting the deckplan that goes with your description key?

 

[esampson]

Sounds great so far, although I can't comment on T5 compliance as I don't have it yet.

Sounds a little more spacious that the Type S that I remember; will you be posting the deckplan that goes with your description key?

The deckplan should be coming (actually, by the time this posts it will hopefully be available). The link at the bottom of my post was suppose to contain it but I must have done something wrong.

Unfortunately I'm too much of a noob, so all my posts have to be vetted right now which means that when I've noticed an error and posted a correction (such as the fact that I left off the total cost of MCr 60.3 for an in service Scout/Courier) it is still hours before the correction becomes available.

 

[esampson]

Seeker/Prospector

Built on the body of a surplus Scout/Courier the Seeker/Prospector is more a style of ship than any particular design. Each ship is modified by its new owners in whatever fashion they think will best fulfill the new functions of the ship. Even with that caveat the 'Seeker/Prospector' is one of the most commonly scene ships used by independent prospectors.

In the case of this particular design the changes that have been made are fairly common. Since the ship will be used almost exclusively in asteroid belts the systems of pumps and hose attachments used to siphon liquid water have been removed. Because of the potential availability of gas giants and the economic savings of unrefined fuel the fuel scoops and purification systems remain intact. A modification frequently seen among Seeker/Prospectors is the removal of the original engines and their replacement with more compact and less expensive drives. This typically requires a trip to a higher technology starport where the ship is usually fitted with the most advanced deep radar available at the same time.

The cost of the modifications to the ship's bulkheads and new engines are typically offset by the sale of the old engines on a less technologically developed world.

1. Avionics: Located behind a maintenance plate in the bridge this section of the ship contains the Model/1bis computer and the antenna for the radar. With space as critical as it is for a mining ship there is a half ton of space that is recovered from the standard scout design and used for fuel storage.
2. Bridge: Designed solely for a pilot the rear bulkhead of the standard scout ship is moved forward creating more room for cargo.
3. Stateroom
4. Stateroom
5. Shared fresher
6. Upper Cargo Area: As much of the Scout/Courier is converted to cargo space as possible. To maximize space and efficiency a large area of the floor (a) has been removed to facilitate loading through the lower cargo area (15)
7. Engineering:One of the heaviest modified areas of the ship other than the cargo bay engineering shows all the signs of the extreme changes made to the ship.
8. Lab/Clinic: The lab in this case has been modified to concentrate almost entirely upon geology and mineralogy allowing trained miners to conduct initial assays and inspections of ore. The area also functions as a clinic in times of emergency.
9. Mining Buggy Berth: As on and unmodified Scout/Courier this is little more than a niche in the hull with large door set in the outer bulkhead.
10. Deep Radar Antenna: The existing mountings for the Scout/Courier's old sensor gear make this an excellent location for the installation of the Seeker/Prospector's deep radar.
11. Common Lounge: Most of the rest of the area for the forward sensor array are converted into a makeshift lounge. The rear bulkhead is removed expanding the area back into the Scout/Courier's 'Kaufin Points'.
12. Walkway: While this area is often used as a sort of secondary storage on Scout/Courier's it is the primary method of access to engineering for the Seeker and as such is always left clear.
13. Gunnery: With the original design to support a gunner for the dorsal turret mounted just above this location is refitted to provide controls for the Seeker's mining laser turret. Although the lasers are not technically weapons and are designed for industrial use the term 'Gunnery Position' is still often applied to the area.
14. Cargo Hold: With the need for a location to store personal belongings as well as things such as tools and claim marker beacons this area is often left unmodified and is used for its original storage purposes rather than being used for the additional storage of ore.
15. Lower Cargo Hold: With the removal of the engine components from lower engineering the area is converted to additional cargo storage. The large cargo door set in the rear allows easy loading of ore which is often carried up through the open roof (a) to the upper cargo hold.

    Tons    TL  Component                             MCr    Notes
--------    --  --------------------------------- -------    ---------------
                100 ton lifting body hull              16 
       2     6  Submergence Hull                        4  
       0        Jump Plates                             0.1  
       1        Landing legs with pads                  1  
       0    11  AV=5. 1 Kinetic Shell                     
       5    13  Mod Jump Drive-2 (A)                   10    J 2
       1    12  Mod Maneuver Drive-2 (A)                4    2 G
       2    11  Mod PowerPlant-2 (A)                    4    P 2
       1     8  Fuel Scoops 100t/hr                     0.1  100t/hr
       1     8  Fuel Purifiers 4t/hr                    1    4t/hr
      18        Jump Fuel (2  parsecs)                       J2, 10t/pc
       1.8       Plant Fuel (one month)                       one month
       1     9  Computer Model/1bis std                 3    
       2        Control Consoles (1)                    0.2  
       2        Operating Consoles (1)                  0.1                              
       0    10  Imp AR Surf Scope                       1.5  
       1    10  Imp AR Ant Radar                        1.5  
       0     9  Imp LR Surf Communicator                4.5  
       1    14  Adv Fo Ant Deep Radar                   3  
       1        Life Support Standard                   1    10 person-months
       4        Crew Single Stateroom (2)               0.2  #4 1 crew
        .5      Crew Common Fresher                      .5  4 crew                             
       3.5      Passageways 
       3        Crew Storage                             
       2        'Attic'  
       3.5      Lounge                                
       2        Clinic                                  1
       4        Lab                                     2 
       4        Air/Raft                              
       2     8  Air/Raft Hull Niche                     1.5
      30.6      Cargo Hold                   
        .1   9  Adv VL T3 Mining Laser                   .5
                Total                                  51.7 MCr

Seeker/Prospector.pdf

 

[stuartsmith183]

Well done! Thanks for the posts

One quick question, on the seeker the Mcr total is incorrect (should be 60.7). Wasn't sure if that was intentional, if the total was just incorrect, if one or more of the values for the componets was off, or if I missed something?

 

[esampson]

There's a couple of transcription errors I've made in the sheet. Because of the lower cost for Mod engines they should be 5, 2, and 2 MCr.

Sorry about that. There are several errors in the cost totals for the unmodified Scout/Courier as well (the communicator should cost 2 MCr more by my calculations and I realized later on that the 1 bis computer is only 1 ton, not 1.5) but since players shouldn't be able to actually purchase an in service Scout/Courier I haven't worried about it.

 

[Frindur]

Thanks this info is exactly what I missed for a Rogue as they can easy get one of this when they where scout bevore.

 

[esampson]

No problem. Part of the reason for doing this was because in our old Traveller games it was assumed that retrofitted Scouts were very common (a combination of the fact that there was fiction to support it along with the fact that we had a 15mm Scout map. ) along with all the Scout/Couriers in service and those on detached duty.

The next variant I will probably make as soon as I have time (it looks like I may be working roughly 60 hours this week) will probably be the Wanderer; a surplus Scout/Courier that has been purchased and refitted as a private vessel with better (more compact) engines, slightly larger staterooms, and the lab/clinic changed to something else. Probably the perfect thing for your rogue.

BTW, if anyone else has ideas/maps for Scout/Courier variants feel free to add them. I created this as a project here so I could see what ideas other people had.

(And now that I can edit my posts and I think I have a better understanding how to upload and link to files I will probably repost the Scout/Courier and Seeker with corrected stats and a local link to the maps instead of a link relying on an outside service. Unfortunately I can't go back and edit old posts which stops me from fulfilling the old adage 'if at first you don't succeed, destroy the evidence'.)

 

[stuartsmith183]

... but since players shouldn't be able to actually purchase an in service Scout/Courier I haven't worried about it.

Good point, didn't think of that. The only reason I noticed the difference was that I copied and pasted it all into a spreadsheet to line up and print it out... I certainly wasn't going to do the math myself!

 

[SpaceBadger]

I still can't view either of the PDF files w the deckplans.

The "attachment" link gives this message: Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator.

The Google docs links give me a message about not being allowed to open this document in a frame, even though I am just trying to open it in a new browser tab. Then when I click the Google docs link to open in a new window as suggested, it won't let me view without signing in.

I would like to see your deckplans for these, as I like the description text.

 

[SpaceBadger]

(And now that I can edit my posts and I think I have a better understanding how to upload and link to files I will probably repost the Scout/Courier and Seeker with corrected stats and a local link to the maps instead of a link relying on an outside service. Unfortunately I can't go back and edit old posts which stops me from fulfilling the old adage 'if at first you don't succeed, destroy the evidence'.)

That would be great, thanks! Looking forward to seeing these when you get time.

 

[esampson]

Scout/Courier

1. Avionics: Located behind a maintenance plate in the bridge this section of the ship contains the Model/1bis computer and the antenna for the radar.
2. Bridge: While designed with the idea of both a pilot and sensor operator using the bridge both seats control full command consoles. The reason for this is so that the second seat can function as a co-pilot if necessary as well as assuming gunnery duties when the ship is operated by a two or three man crew.
3. Walkway: Simply a walkway connecting the bridge and staterooms with the common lounge.
4. Stateroom
5. Stateroom
6. Stateroom
7. Stateroom
8. Common Lounge: This room is where the crew meets for communal meals as well as to relax and unwind.
9. Common fresher: Though the Scout/Courier is often manned by a single scout and is rarely manned by any more than four the design of the Scout/Courier includes a standardized common fresher capable of supporting up to ten individuals rather than earlier designs which had two shared freshers located between pairs of staterooms. It was found that the design did not appreciably impact the total amount of space needed by the crew and that it functioned much better on those occasions where the staterooms were double loaded. Nevertheless it is possible to find many Scout/Couriers using the older design.
10. Engineering: Along with lower engineering (11) this section of the ship contains the maneuvering drives, jump drives, power plant and life support systems of the ship. A control console is available allowing a third crew member to control the engines during critical moments as well as providing easier access to diagnostics if the scouts should need to make any repairs in the field.
11. Lower Engineering: Commonly refereed to as 'the Hole' by scouts this section supplies access to those parts of the jump drive and power plant that are inaccessible through upper engineering (10).
12. Lab/Clinic: Designed with the primary intent of providing laboratory space to scouts in the field conducting research this section serves double duty by containing a selection of emergency medical supplies and tools that all too often prove useful.
13. Air/Raft Berth: Little more than a niche in the hull with large door set in the outer bulkhead.
14. Gunnery: Typically only used when the scout crew has a full compliment of four this area contains a control console designed to use the turret mounted just above. When there are less than four crew members this seat is usually left empty with fire control being handled from the bridge. As the weaponry is removed on Scout/Couriers that are assigned to detached duty or which are sold off the control console for this area is also removed. In those cases this area often becomes a sort of unofficial quiet spot where crew members who need a little alone time can come and look out into space through the viewport that occupies the aft wall.
15. Walkway: Also frequently referred to as 'the Attic' by scouts this hallway connects the gunnery post with the forward sensor array allowing a scout to move from one to the other without having to drop down to the main deck. However, given that it is possible to move from one to the other via the main deck and that such a maneuver is rarely even necessary the hallway is often used as a sort of auxiliary storage space by many scouts (this is against IISS protocols but most administrators recognize the preciousness of space aboard a ship and will turn a blind eye).
    
    One interesting aspect of the current Scout/Courier design are a pair of what are colloquially referred to as 'Kaufin points' (15a and 15b). It is unknown as to why the ship was designed this way or even where the name Kaufin points comes from though theories and legends abound. One legend holds that the original specifications for the forward sensor position called for five and a half tons of displacement instead of four. When the specifications were changed during the eleventh hour a engineer named Kaufin simply added a wall to separate off the remaining ton and a half and attached it to the walkway rather than redesign the bulkhead. Another story holds that originally the Kaufin points were suppose to be sealed off, creating two hidden half ton areas in the ship adjacent to the walkway which could be used by scouts on 'sensitive missions'. However almost immediately after the launch of the first ships of the new design a scout named Kaufin noticed discrepancies in the total volume of fuel stored within the ship and uncovered the hidden areas. Still another story holds that they are in point of fact 'coffin points' and were designed as places to store scouts killed in the line of duty as they were being returned home but that at the last minute it was decided that an official designation of such an area would be bad for morale.
16. Forward Sensor Array: This section contains the sensors that are used by scouts on exploratory missions. This includes the chemical analyzer, the life detection sensors, and the deep radar. In scout ships on detached duty or which have been sold off the sensors are removed and this location often becomes either a secondary lounge or storage.
17. Cargo Hold: Located behind and below the bridge this three ton space is set aside for the storage needs of the crew and scouts are notoriously sensitive about being ordered to store any equipment that might be required for special missions such as a removable mail vault for a scout temporarily pressed into courier duty. Instead the scouts will often prefer to store such things in the lab (assuming their mission will not require the lab), the upper walkway, or even the common lounge before giving up 'personal space'.

   Tons    TL  Item                                   Cost    Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
               100 ton lifting body hull              16.0    
    2.0     6  Submergence Hull                        4.0    
               Jump Plates                             0.1    
    1.0        Landing legs with pads                  1.0    
           11  AV=5. 1 Kinetic Shell                          
   10.0    11  Jump Drive-A                           10.0    J 2
    2.0    10  Manuever Drive-A                        4.0    2 G
    4.0     9  Power Plant-A                           4.0    P 2
    1.0     8  Fuel Scoops                             0.1    200 tons/hour
    1.0     8  Fuel Intakes                            0.1    40 tons/hour
    1.0     8  Fuel Purifiers                          1.0    4 tons/hour
   20.0        Jump Fuel                                      2 parsecs
    2.0        Power Plant Fuel                               1 month
    1.0     9  Computer Model/1bis std                 3.0    
    4.0        Control Consoles (2)                    0.4    
    4.0        Operating Consoles (2)                  0.2    
    0.0    10  Imp AR Surf Scope                       1.5    
    1.0    10  Imp AR Ant Radar                        1.5    
    0.0     9  Imp LR Surf Communicator                4.5    
    1.0    10  Imp Vd Ant Analyzer/Sniffer             0.6    
    1.0    11  Imp Vd Ant Life Detector                0.6    
    2.0    11  Imp Or Ant Deep Radar                   1.8    
    1.0        Life Support - Standard                 1.0    10 Person/months
    8.0        Crew Single Stateroom (4)               0.4    
    1.0        Crew Common Fresher                     1.0    10 Crew
    9.0        Crew Lounge                                    
    3.0        Passageways                                    
    3.5        Attic                                          
    2.0        Clinic                                  1.0    
    4.0        Lab                                     2.0    
    4.0        Air/Raft                                       
    2.0     8  Hull Niche for Air/Raft                 1.5    
    3.0        Cargo Hold                                     
    1.0    11  Imp Vd T2 Beam Laser                    1.0    
                                                              
               Total                                  62.3

 

[HG_B]

This was pretty easy but as an additional challenge I wanted to try and make it as close to the original map from Traders and Gunboats as possible.

Very cool. One question, why did you change it to a lifting body? The original was a dart shaped non-lifting body.

 

[esampson]

Very cool. One question, why did you change it to a lifting body? The original was a dart shaped non-lifting body.

According to the description on pg. 358 the dart shaped body is a lifting body (i.e. it is stated that the Scout/Courier hull is a lifting body while the pictures given everywhere show it is a dart shape) and I wanted to do everything I could to avoid contradicting things stated in the T5 book concerning the Scout/Courier. Of course there's an example given where the hull construction is Plate rather than Shell, but I can pass that off as a 'for instance' rather than a statement that this is how they are constructed.

I suppose it could be considered a lifting body as it is more aerodynamic than the merely streamlined hull but it does not have actual wings. My guess is that the type K Safari ship would also be considered a lifting body.

 

[andycowley]

Great job

Thanks for showing us your work .... I just finished reading the T5 ship design chapter and my mind has just raised a little white flag

Have you had a crack at the hit locations Shipfillform yet for your designs? I was hoping to see a worked example on a complete ship to get a feel for that ...

 

[HG_B]

According to the description on pg. 358 the dart shaped body is a lifting body

Okay got it. I thought you were trying to be true to the original. I get it now.

 

[esampson]

Started on that for the Scout/Courier this weekend. It actually doesn't seem to be too terrible. You're breaking up the ship into 20 ton chunks (in the case of the Scout/Courier) and then subdividing those chunks into 6 more sub-chunks, each of which displace roughly 3 tons (two of them have to displace 4 tons to make it all come out right).

Unfortunately the ship probably won't divide into exactly 20 ton pieces and those pieces won't subdivide into exactly 3 and 4 ton lots, which is where it becomes sort of like an exercise in packing luggage.