Type 95 Zhodani 10 ton fighter

[Brian Smaller]

The Zhodani, however, do.




This design is close to several "Zhodani" elements already.

We see three groups of Zhodani subcraft in CT. There are a couple pictures in JTAS and another in the CT Alien Module that depict delta-winged pods or cylinders, much like our own modern fighter jets. Arguably these fall into two groups, as the rather chunky fighter on the cover of JTAS 9 is rather more organic, and has the split cockpit glass and point-forward winglets that make it distinct.
The other CT art comes via FASA, though much of it has since been fully Canonized by inclusion in TNE, GT, and Mongoose. Ignoring the big ships for now, we see the Heavy Fighter sitting on the back of the Stedlas SDB. It is all organic curves and that tall sail of a tail, and the winglets are again swept forward (a design element also seen on all of the bigger ships that also use the organic look).
The third type shows up in the even older Vlezhdatl deckplan set (also from FASA). The Vlezhdest fighters are rather simple and almost crystalline in form, looking like a flattened and irregular decahedron. While not this simple, the larger ships do have a similar group, including the Vlezhdatl and the clumsily geometric Patrol Cruiser designed by Games Workshop for their IISS Ship Files.

Common elements seen in these, the Vlezhdest aside, include the point-forward winglets or tail sail and an obvious nose. They also tend toward obvious cockpit glass, though it is not always split down the middle.

The larger ships provide a few more distinctive details. The engines are rarely at the very rear of the hull; something always sticks out further even if it is just an overhang (something the MGT version of the Ninz got wrong). Second, Zhodani spacecraft are very rarely *flat*. Whether it is a flowing and curvy organic form or stark geometrics, the Zhodani don't fly bricks. They also have a distinct preference for triangular cross-sections, with the lower decks being wider than the upper decks.

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This fighter obviously isn't in the old-school dart group and is a bit too curvy for the stark geometric group. The best fit is in the curvy organics group, but there are a lot of panels and surface bits that the organic group typically does not have.

Were I your Art Director, I'd recommend the following to make this design distinctly Zhodani.

-Bend it downward across the body, so the outboard ends are lower than the center. It doesn't need to be a lot.
-Broaden the central tail at its base (looking from above) until it overhangs the engines and gives the hull a beveled or pointed aft appearance (from above) that then keeps going into the long tail.
-Put a forward barb in line with the central tail that visibly rises above the hull. It need not be huge, and can rise smoothly from the central tail before ending in the forward point seen on most Zhodani craft.
-Smooth out and curve the hull and tail lines and ditch 90% of the surface detail greeblies. It should look like slightly mechanized sea life, not Mecha Godzilla.
-Make the cockpit a little more visible, be it up top (using Brian's layout) or across the front. Given that you've described the fighter as camera driven, the "cockpit glass" may just be a surface marking that means nothing.

In this case, the overwhelming Zhodani use of long and narrow hull forms that are frequently necked can be ignored, as we do have one other fighter that doesn't follow that rule.

Draw a pic and I will give a deckplan a go

 

[maksimsmelchak]

I put this together out of Gypsy Comet's words:

Traveller Zhodani Fighter (Smallcraft) Design Philosophy
1. Delta-winged pods or cylinders (Old-school dart group)
Common elements:
• Organic
• Split cockpit glass
• Point-forward winglets
Sources:
• JTAS (#9 and others)
• CT Zhodani Alien Module

2. Curvy organic (Curvy organic group)
Common elements:
• All organic curves
• Tall sail of a tail
• Swept-forward winglets
Sources:
• FASA
• TNE
• GT
• Mongoose
• Heavy Fighter sitting on the back of the Stedlas SDB

3. Simple geometric (Stark geometric group)
Common elements:
• Flattened and irregular decahedron
• Almost crystalline in form
Sources:
• FASA Vlezhdatl deckplan set

Traveller Zhodani Capital Ship Design Philosophy• Long and narrow hull forms
• Frequently necked
• Engines are rarely at the very rear of the hull
• Something almost always sticks out further than the engines even if just an overhang
• Zhodani spacecraft are very rarely *flat*. Whether it is a flowing and curvy organic form or stark geometrics, the Zhodani don't fly bricks.
• They also have a distinct preference for triangular cross-sections, with the lower decks being wider than the upper decks.

 

[McPerth]

About zhodani designs

From MT:101 Vehicles, page 23, vahicle 44:

<snip> is a good example of Zhodani light vehicle philosophy: weaponry is preferred over armor. Also, sensors are less powerful than those in equivalent Imperial craft - presumably because tha Zhodani place more stock in psionics as a supplement to sensors.

Considering this as a light vehicle in MT terms, I see this design as conforming on it (weaponry aside, as discussed before), as it's not too armored, and sensors are weak (incuding the visual sensors).

Besides, if the prole fighter pilots were unhappy, the Zhos would fix that and MAKE him happy.

Therefore, never a sad Zho fighter pilot.

Ever.

(bold is mine)

I have doubts about the existence of prole fighter pilots.

Fighter pilots, bing a kind of elite, use to be officers (or at least warrant officers), so, unless the Zhodani have very different philosphies on this, they will be (at least) intendents, and probably, as told above, use psionics to supplement their sensors and lack of windows for manual delicate maneuvers.

 

[GypsyComet]

I put this together ...

Mongoose and SJG both added to the "dart" school, which was previously present only in the CT Alien Module. The defining feel here is that these designs don't look like they need grav to fly. SJG and Mongoose also expressly brought this school of architecture into both the fighter and starship size ranges. The picture in CT AM4 does not have a strong scale cue.

A couple of the ships from FASA do show a meld between the organic and geometric forms, but they also express the other Zhodani design elements very strongly. The two examples from FASA are the Chatl and the Stedlas, both of which impose a bit more angularity on an otherwise flowing shape. The Stedlas is also the only obvious cone from the early ships, and appears to be the cue from which Mongoose's version of the (previously unpictured) Council Cruiser arose.

 

[Meeko100]

If there are manual RCS overrides, then there's a good reason right there for a window. A fried computer renders the remote optics useless. But if you can manually release RCS fuel into the combustion chambers, you can still dock.

Perhaps. But wouldn't you still need power to operate the RCS? Unless your RCS nozzles are connected by wires to the controls, it at least needs power. Which the computer systems in your craft likely govern.

Not mention that flying back to the carrier after your computers crash is as easy as an Driving across the Sahara Desert with only a compass.

In either case, I doubt that a sane military would have no way for the pilot to pop the canopy and fly manually if so needed.

 

[wbyrd]

I put this together out of Gypsy Comet's words:

Traveller Zhodani Fighter (Smallcraft) Design Philosophy
1. Delta-winged pods or cylinders (Old-school dart group)
Common elements:
• Organic
• Split cockpit glass
• Point-forward winglets
Sources:
• JTAS (#9 and others)
• CT Zhodani Alien Module

2. Curvy organic (Curvy organic group)
Common elements:
• All organic curves
• Tall sail of a tail
• Swept-forward winglets
Sources:
• FASA
• TNE
• GT
• Mongoose
• Heavy Fighter sitting on the back of the Stedlas SDB

3. Simple geometric (Stark geometric group)
Common elements:
• Flattened and irregular decahedron
• Almost crystalline in form
Sources:
• FASA Vlezhdatl deckplan set

Traveller Zhodani Capital Ship Design Philosophy• Long and narrow hull forms
• Frequently necked
• Engines are rarely at the very rear of the hull
• Something almost always sticks out further than the engines even if just an overhang
• Zhodani spacecraft are very rarely *flat*. Whether it is a flowing and curvy organic form or stark geometrics, the Zhodani don't fly bricks.
• They also have a distinct preference for triangular cross-sections, with the lower decks being wider than the upper decks.

Gypsy Comet, maksimsmelchak, thanks for the feed back on this..itis greatly appreciated.Going with the limited material I have on Zho ships I was making a rough first try you guys will help me flesh it out a bit

From MT:101 Vehicles, page 23, vahicle 44:



Considering this as a light vehicle in MT terms, I see this design as conforming on it (weaponry aside, as discussed before), as it's not too armored, and sensors are weak (incuding the visual sensors).



(bold is mine)

I have doubts about the existence of prole fighter pilots.

Fighter pilots, bing a kind of elite, use to be officers (or at least warrant officers), so, unless the Zhodani have very different philosphies on this, they will be (at least) intendents, and probably, as told above, use psionics to supplement their sensors and lack of windows for manual delicate maneuvers.

I was going for the light expendable fighter swarms in this design. I imagined if the fighters were meant for basic duties, and high risk operations Elite/Experienced pilots would be reserved for more capable fighters.Why waste good pilots on formations that are likely to get shot to ribbons by enemy point defense fire..

I also saw these as a chance for a Prole to get ahead..seeing as you would have to seriously impress your superior that your more than a walking meatbag to get ahead even a little as a Prole.

I'll expand on that idea in more detailed "fluff" text. I was planning to include a bit on the various types of fighters and potential tactics and roles they played.

With each type of fighter having a slightly different value in the big picture, rather than go with they are all elite units with hotshot pilots...some would be proper Elite units, others sort of a grunt class of small craft pilot...

since light fighters like this would be deployed En Masse rather than in small squadrons or flights...if a pilot survived long enough he would be promoted out of the lower levels into higher level units....

And once again, thanks for the feedback. You guys are helping me to refine my ideas and get my duck in a row... working in the blind, especially on something the players of a game have a huge interest in, is not always a good idea. With continued feedback I am hoping to make my stuff more appealing to players.

 

[maksimsmelchak]

Mongoose and SJG both added to the "dart" school, which was previously present only in the CT Alien Module. The defining feel here is that these designs don't look like they need grav to fly. SJG and Mongoose also expressly brought this school of architecture into both the fighter and starship size ranges. The picture in CT AM4 does not have a strong scale cue.

A couple of the ships from FASA do show a meld between the organic and geometric forms, but they also express the other Zhodani design elements very strongly. The two examples from FASA are the Chatl and the Stedlas, both of which impose a bit more angularity on an otherwise flowing shape. The Stedlas is also the only obvious cone from the early ships, and appears to be the cue from which Mongoose's version of the (previously unpictured) Council Cruiser arose.

Hey Jim,

With your blessing, I am going to adapt some of this design philosophy into something that can be used on the Wiki. Please let me know if this is ok. If not, I will use my own notes exclusively.

There is an article here I'd like to see improved. [http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Zhodani_Navy ]

I've also been studying the Zhodani and trying to put together comprehensive information on them. I'd like to see someone put a few sector books together for Zhodani space. There is lots of background out there for it, although much of it is non-canon.

My notes on Zhodani ship design philosophies mirror yours.

I'd eventually like to see someone put something together for armored grav vehicles as well. My notes are thick with those also.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.