Starship designs...

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taalismn
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Re: Starship designs...

Unread post by taalismn »

SolCannibal wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 6:44 pm
I knew i had probably gotten the part on WZT wrong - i cut the "Yards" because i wasn't even sure if it supposed to be part of the name or reference to some literal ship-building yards - but the search function was a mess, so couldn't check to correct myself.

Anyway, thanks for clearing things up for everyone.
No prob, DarkMaxx originally created the name WZTechyards...what the 'WZ' originally stood for, I dunno. But it snowballed from there.

PS/ASI came in as the groundfighters looking for allies and trade partners to help out the homeland on Rifts Earth.. WZT had a galaxies-wide merchandising network selling spacecraft. They got together to mutually benefit each other and wound up nation-building. Happy story of corporations helping the people, not just their bottom line.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
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taalismn
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Re: Starship designs...

Unread post by taalismn »

Dultrex Corporation D-C90 ‘SkyTral’ Heavy Interstellar Transport
(aka ‘Octopede’, ‘Sky-Crawler’)
“Beautiful old ships and right treats to fly in atmo, provided the antigrav is working. Stately in maneuver, though they can be quick to stabilize if the going gets turbulent. To get that performance, though, you better take extra care of the pylon articulators and the engine pod servos. ”

“Pirates used to call the SkyTral the ‘Shooting Gallery’, with their pilots trying to see how many of the engines they could take out in a single pass.”

The ‘SkyTral’ was the Dultrex Corporation‘s successor to the Dultrex C80 and was meant to cash in on the post-Automaton War reconstruction and expansion. Twice the size of the C80, with the same engines, only doubled up in number, over twice the cargo lift capacity, but only half again the maintenance cost, the D-C90 seemed slated to be a winner.
Indeed, with its large cargo capacity, and no less than eight pylon-mounted engine pods, the SkyTral was well-suited for delivering cargo to rebuilding worlds and expanding colonies, its multiple engine pods allowing it to handle well in turbulent alien atmospheres. For a time, the SkyTral was a common sight, hauling freight across the reconstruction zones and supplying the new colonies.
However, the D-C90 was in competition with the retooling military-industrial giants whose ships had won the Automaton War . Military-grade structure, engines, and shields made the new generation of heavy transport faster, more durable, and better-suited for the increasingly hostile frontier, as the Human Alliance in its new age of exploration made contact with new alien species. Post-war piracy was also on the rise, as many demobbed soldiers turned pirate or mercenary, of opportunists equipped with War-surplus military gear struck at unprepared colonies. The D-C90, as maneuverable as it was in an atmosphere, was especially vulnerable in its slow ponderous space speed and exposed engines to combat damage, despite an integral commercial-grade forcefield and the ability to mount extra weapons. Without escort, the lumbering SkyTral was an attractive target for bandits.
Denied the wild frontier, the SkyTral was relegated to cargo runs near the metroworlds, where its competition was the many short-run transports being pumped out by DC’s competitors. Dultrex soldiered on for another century, but never again regained the fire of its earlier days, though credit to the designer, the SkyTral trudged on for many years after Dultrex folded. Ironically the design would make a return to the frontiers that were once its roaming grounds, as metroworld companies sold their old transports to ship-desperate Rim operators . A number of SkyTrals thus tramp the Rim, laboriously(and lovingly) maintained by Rim shipyards, and taking their chances with the still-extant vulnerabilities.
The multiple redundancy of the D-C90’s engine nacelles allows the ship to fly on as few as four engines, provided symmetrical thrust is maintained. It is thus not unusual to see old SkyTrals operating with one or two outrigger pods missing.

Type: D-C90 ‘SkyTral’
Class: Heavy Interstellar Transport
Crew: 20, provision for up to 40 additional passengers.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 5,700
Bridge 1,000
Main Power Bloc 1,000
Engines(8 ) 960 each
Cargo Bay Hatches() 400 each
Forcefield 2,000
Height: 164 ft
Width: 300 ft main hull, 434 ft at outriggers
Length: 1,300 ft
Weight: 86,000tons
Cargo: 65,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 35-year energy life between reactor core replacements
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 5
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.5% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4 light years per hour
Market Cost: 195 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
*Exceptional Atmospheric Stability---The placement of the engines and inflight 3D vectoring systems gives the large freighter unexpected stability in atmospheric flight: +15% to piloting rolls maneuvering in atmosphere.

Weapons Systems: None standard, but has provision for up to 14 point defense mounts and 4 light or 1 medium weapons turret.

Auxiliary Craft: None standard; some operators convert a cargo bay into a hangar, in which case the bay can hold four light shuttles or 5 light fighters.

Variants:
A number of post-market variants exist, most being configured to handle vehicle or liquid/gas cargoes. The SkyTral is sometimes used as a support ship for gas-skimming operations or colonial weather control efforts.
After the Dultrex Corporation folded, nobody picked up the licensing rights to their designs, so they became common domain. In the centuries since, a few smaller, mainly Fringe-based, companies have built D-C90s, or at least SkyTral-inspired, ships, mainly for the atmosphere-skimming industry. At least one operator maintains a SkyTral as a tour-liner of planetary atmospheres, with the internal cargo bays reconfigured into cabin space accommodations for 500 passengers.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
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taalismn
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Re: Starship designs...

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*Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries-SC08DE---- Concord Destroyer Escort (Ship Variant)
(aka ‘Discord’, ‘DEScord’)
“Looks like an old flaking-hulled tramper on the outside, but has the workings of a pocket frigate on the inside. Calling them merchant-cruiser conversions is a mistake; they’re right proper warships with the gams and guns to prove it.”

“On paper, the Descord can outrun and outfight a Hunter-class destroyer...or at least the bog-standard old pre-upgrade models. But the Hunter’s got its own fighter coverage and is oriented towards the strike role, while the Concord-DE’s designed with a defensive posture in mind. Not that it makes much difference when a pirate in a third-hand Hunter or a Berserker knockoff sees one of these things charging at them out of a convoy formation, spitting fire. Typically the Discords will keep the wolves at bay, then let the Hauberks and Shepherds pursue and finish them off.”

“Pirates getting wise? Means we just have to up our game.”

Military variant of the Concord Light Freighter, building on the -SC08PG configuration, only more substantially modified as a destroyer escort . Armor, structural integrity, force-screening, and point defense have been upgraded, advanced fire control added, and military sensors mounted, at the expense of cargo capacity. The nose hatch has been capped with a longer more conical prow holding extra sensors and a heavy missile launcher, the heavy guns of the -SC08PG have ben moved to new locations on the hull, and added EW arrays mounted on the hull. The rear of the central cargo bay has been capped as well, and the internal space further partitioned with blast bulkheads to make room for an engine booster.
As with the -SC08PG, the -SC08DE still appears on most scanners as varying little from its civilian Concord cousin-designs, and standard deployment operations keep active military scanner activity and speed to a minimum during convoy escort runs, to trick potential attackers into range before the destroyer-escorts go to full power on the counterattack.
Given the sterling reputation established by the Concord, the Descord is already proving popular with Mercantlle Defense Force crews, many of who trained on Concords.

Type: PS/ASI-SC08DE Concord-DE
Class: Interstellar Destroyer Escort
Crew: 65 +10 man security contingent+1-30 passengers(typically additional security troops)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 5,500
Bridge 1,400
Radome Stack/Sensor Array 580
Medium Weapons Turrets(3) 360 each
Light Weapons Turrets(4) 250 each
Point Defense Turrets(8) 125 each
Heavy Missile Launcher(1, nose) 400
Secondary Missile Launchers(2) 380 each
Tractor Beam Projectors(2) 300 each
*(Retractable) Maneuvering Engine Nacelles(4) 800 each
Variable Forcefields--1,000 MDC per side, 6,000 MDC total

*Destroying two or more of the Maneuvering Engines will reduce the ability of the ship to manuever in atmosphere; -20% to Piloting rolls. The ship can still land, take off, and fly, but more or less only in a straight line; precision maneuvering will be rather more diificult.

Height: 75 ft.
Width: 110 ft
Length: 370 ft
Weight: 3,000 tons
Cargo: 500 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life. Some ships are TW-powered.
Speed: (Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3
(Sublight) Mach 10
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Fully amphibious; can float on the surface or operate underwater at 25 MPH, maximum depth 3,000 ft.
Market Cost: 345 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard StarShip Systems, plus:
*Full Sensor Suite---Specialized sensor pallets include radiation detectors and counters, spectrographic analysis devices, gravitic sensors, electromagnetic activity readers, and optics packages.
*Long Range Radar---Phased Array Search and Early Warning Radars
Maximum Target Resolution: 200,000 miles
*Laser Targeting-------100,000 miles
*Communications Suite:---Long Range Radio and Video
*Laser Communications ---Tactical (i.e. ship-to fighter/shuttle).Range: 250,000 miles

*Optical Tracking Clusters----These are transparent blisters fitted with gimbal-mounted high-resolution visible-light/IR/UV optical telescopes that continually scan the arc of sky before them. Linked to the navigational arrays and other tracking sensors, and to a series of highly sophisticated near-AI search and discrimination software systems, these sensors attempt to detect objects that have low radar returns/sensor signatures, such as stealthed vehicles, iceballs, or asteroids. The high-tech equivalent of the man in the crow’s nest with a pair of binoculars.

*Military Sensors----Can track ships moving in normal space at 350,000 miles away, and detect FTL wakes at 10 light years.

*Fire Control---Linked to the sensors, this system gives the weapons a +4 to strike.

*Military Jammers---- Bundled standard ECM suite for confusing sensor-guided weapons; -5 to strike, scrambler field; confuses radio transmissions in an 80 mile(Kitsune: 8,000 mile) radius, particle beams do HALF damage, and 45% chance of deflecting standard missiles(i.e.; ‘dumb’ missiles).

*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. Note that this applies only to the underside and leading edges of the airframe.

*Lifeboats(8 )

*Tractor Beams(2)----Effectively each rated for 2,000 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass. Both emitters are mounted in the prow.
Range: 5 miles in space(NOT usable in atmosphere)
(Kitsune Values: 5,000 miles in space)

*(Optional) ORACLE Mk V---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures).
An increasing number of USAJC ships are being fitted with these sensor suites, as production becomes more widespread, especially in the aftermath of the Minion War incursion, and Infernal left-behinds and magically-enhanced threat groups continue to be menaces to interstellar travel.
? • See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
? • See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
? • Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
? • Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected(requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500,000 miles (805,000 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

Weapons Systems:
1) Main Guns(3)----The forward cargo bay has been refitted with a pair of fixed-forward medium starship laser cannons or particle beam projectors, with their own dedicated power supply. A third turret covers the rear arc. Can be fitted with any of the PS/ASI/WZT Medium Starship Weapons, but typically lasers or particle beams are carried.
a)Medium Laser Cannons
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 8,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 4 shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Medium Particle Beam Cannons
Range: 7 miles in atmosphere, 14 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 7 miles in atmosphere, 7,000 miles in space)
Damage: 4d4x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 3 shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Heavy Missile Launcher(1)---Mounted in the reconfigured nose and forward cargo bay, the new heavy missile launcher can hold 48 long range missiles OR 30 cruise missiles, volley strength of 1-6.

3) Missile Launchers(2) ---The lateral cargo doors have been replaced with modular missile launchers, now dedicated to anti-fighter ordnance; each launcher can carry and fire 120 mini-missiles OR 60 short range missiles, OR 30 medium range missiles, with magazine capacity of x3 for each station.

4) Medium Gravity Guns(3, one forward, and two aft)--Kinetics will always be a thing with USA designs, given their versatility.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 8,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per burst.
Can also fire chaff/fragmentation rounds that do 1d4x10 MD to 100 ft radius in space.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 300 bursts per cannon. New ammunition can be loaded from stores within 20 minutes.

5) Light Guns(4)---These are light PDS weapons in double- or quad-mounts for greater concentrated firepower. Only tachyon cannon cannot be bundled together like this.

6) Point Defense Turrets(8 ) --- The Discord uses the ASI/WZT standardized modular PDS system, but removes four turrets from the -SC08PG configuration.

7) Countermeasure Launchers(4)---These replace the four missing PDS turrets.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
In space, anything flying at high speed through the cloud will take 2d6 MD +1d6 MD per every 100 miles of speed over 670 MPH.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 48

The second system releases a nanotech swarm of active jamming pods and decoys that are programmed to emulate a spacecraft’s sensor signature, or, at the very least, bury enemy tactical communications in ‘white noise’.
Effective Range: 25 mile jamming radius
Duration: 5 minutes per pod-spray
Effects: Jams radio signals(75% chance of jamming military band command-guidance ordnance), and 60% chance of deflecting ordinary missiles.
Payload: 18 swarm packs

The third system uses modified grav-pack drives and signal projectors to create a moving pattern of sensor signatures. The grav-pack mini-missile drives can go for 10 minutes before self-destructing, and can either be remotely directed or run a pre-set pattern.
Effective Speed: Mach 6
Duration: 10 minutes per pod
Effects: The decoys have a 70% chance of fooling enemy sensor operators and expert systems. They are are also +2 to enemy sensor-guided munitions to strike, increasing the chance that the missiles will elect to pursue the ‘louder’ sensor signature(the missile rolls to strike for both the original ship and each decoy deployed....highest to strike roll determines which target the missile(s) go after).
Payload: 15 decoys are carried, and can be deployed singly, or in ‘packs’ of 1-3.

Auxiliary Craft:
4 Light Shuttles/Boarding Boats in semi-external docking divot-cradles along the upper hull.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
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taalismn
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Re: Starship designs...

Unread post by taalismn »

(Tyrell Industries and the Vortex fighter are the creations of Richard Jenkin and first appeared in Rifter #12)

Tyrell Industries T-F878 Vortex-3 Aero Space Interceptor
“With regards to the T-F870; as proud of the Vortex as we all were when it rolled out, I think recent events have dimmed that shine. Great as it was when we introduced it, it hasn’t aged well on a number of counts.
I think we underestimated how flexible the design of the Black Eagle turned out to be and how much less expensive it was going to become, once Galactic Armory began mass-producing it . We also overerestimated how useful the Null Drive was going to be to system defense forces. That rather priced our Vortex out of the range of a lot of defense forces looking to build up their numbers, especially as many need to rebuild their combat losses from the recent Minion War incursions.
And now that the Rim’s beginning to build their own respectable upper-tier starfighters, some of our prospective customers are looking at them as possible alternatives.
If we’re going to keep our hand in the defense of the Consortium of Civilized Worlds against the likes of the TransGalactic Empire---and you know how the Old Man feels about that----we need to up our game and make some changes. Aerospace is the front line, and either we sharpen our edge to stay on that line, or we should get out and leave it to others with a better grasp of what’s needed. ”

-Inner Office Memo, Tyrell Industries Corporate Headquarters, Rememberance.

The T-F870 Vortex Space Interceptor was a very good fighter when it was introduced, and had several innovative systems, especially its Null-Drive, but it was very lacking in many respects. Despite its apparent streamlining, it was a wholly dedicated space combat craft with no atmospheric capabilities whatsoever. This limited its abilities to use its Null-Drive to conduct planetary raids, while lack of atmospheric handling limited it to being based off carrier platforms and starships. The ship’s shield generator was also external to the hull and vulnerable to damage. The custom in-house produced fusion powerplant, which fed the energy-hungry systems, tended to fatigue rapidly, was prone to inefficiencies, and required major overhauls more frequently at cost to the buyer-operators.
However, the blistering Mach 18 speed and heavy armaments of the Vortex impressed many CCW members, and a growing number of metroworlds placed orders for the shiny new ships. The Vortex seemed poised to be both the CCW’s newest defender and a real moneymaker for Tyrell.
Then the Black Eagle rolled out and both the Forge and the Minion Wars erupted. The starfighter corps of many worlds were put to the test, in many cases their first real baptism of fire, and many lessons were learned or relearned, often at considerable cost.
The Black Eagle proved itself the CAF’s stalwart medium fighter of the hour. Though (slightly) slower in real space and FTL, the SF-101LR-variant Black Eagle was less expensive, more durable, more tactically flexible, and harder-hitting at range than the Vortex. And that was even before the Forge and the Minion Wars. Lessons learned during those conflicts led to improved models of the Black Eagle emerging. These new models would have been competition enough for the Vortex, but worse was to come; newly-emergent Fringe and Rim states began to catch up in their shipbuilding capabilities and began rolling out their own homebrewed aerospace fighters, some of which approached peer-level to the more sophisticated coreworld corps’ offerings.
William Tyrell rightly guessed that these developments would negatively impact sales of the Vortex unless something drastic was done. Doing some reorganization of the aerospace division, refinancing the operation, and going over the design with a major facelift and overhaul in mind, Tyrell saw a number of issues that needed to be addressed on the Vortex. Tyrell Industries worked to recapture marketshare by producing a number of variants of the T-F870.
The T-F870 itself would see several changes, thanks to advances in technology and techniques, and emerged from the reorganization and overhaul as the T-F871, with the following improvements:
-Main Armament--- The nose plasma cannon cluster benefitted from an improved cooling system; the overheating issue was fixed.

-Improved Powerplant----The Null-Drive was the Vortex’s biggest power drain, even in standby mode. While the Black Eagle used a matter/antimatter system, the Vortex used a nuclear RTG with a rapid-fatigue core life, that quickly broke down. Tyrell called in some favors and had a new fusion powerplant designed. The new engine now has a life expectancy of ten years and a much better power draw surge capability.

-Landing Capability----The T-F871 introduced the ability to land in an atmosphere/gravity field, though the ship was limited to straight landings and booster take-offs(at Mach 7!). This was made possible by several new software programs that modulated the variable forcefields into a streamlining ‘virtual skin’ and routed extra power to the engines when in atmospheric flight. This modification also necessitated stronger landing gear, but that was considered a small price to pay for more operational flexibility and a wider range of deployment theatres.

-Improved Avionics---Enhanced targeting systems give a +3 to strike with direct-fire weaponry.

-Electronic Countermeasure Package---A basic, but upgradable, EW ECM system was added. This automatic system provides active sensor jamming that interferes wth the active radiation(radar and laser) tracking/target-lock systems of most gunnery and missile systems and incurs a penalty of -2 to strike the fighter.

In general, the new T-F871 drew attention back to the Vortex and improved sales(an opening up of clientele and a new marketing campaign also helped). It also paved the way for the T-F875 Vortex-2.

“Light on the stick and zipper on the thrust; even with the cockpit g-baffles on, you can FEEL the overthrust when you open up the power! This babe’s got ergs to BURN!”

The T-F875 Vortex-2 was essentially a pared-down ‘economy’ Vortex, losing the Null-Drive, but keeping the high local space speed. This also extended the powerplant lifespan to 15 years. Other changes included an armored faring extension of the hull that enclosed the shield generator inside the main hull’s protective armoring. The deletion of the Null-Drive also eliminated the power issues to the wing-pylon PBCs, which now enjoyed effectively unlimited shots without needing to periodically recharge. The particle beam cannon mounts were also modified with swivels, allowing the cannons to cover the dorsal, ventral, and rear arcs of the fighter. Modifications to its long range missile launcher racks allowed the Vortex-2 to carry a pair of cruise missiles in place of the LRMs, making it a more potent shipkiller. The Vortex-2 was also less expensive; 62 million credits and it thus has sold very well to those clients wanting a simpler system defense fighter.

“The Vorthree’s still more expensive than the Black Eagle, but with its heavier weaponry and star-raking speed, most militaries consider it to effectively be a heavy strike fighter, which of course is going to be more pricey than a regular line unit. GIve it another generation, though, and Tyrell should be able to expand andstreamline their production processes such that the price will be brought down to something more affordable to a wider customer base.”

The ‘ultimate’ variant, the T-F878 Vortex-3 combined lessons learned from the T-F871, Vortex-2 and observations of other fighter craft. The fuselage was redesigned to be aerodynamic and to fare the shield generator into its protection; while not the most agile of atmospheric fliers, the Vortex-3 could at least operate in and from an atmosphere and do a decent job of holding its own. Tyrell Industries adopted the multipupose hardpoint systems becoming popular with aerospace fighter designers, as well as the countermeasure launchers also gaining popularity; two hardpoints under each wing, can hold a six-charge flare/chaff dispenser, 10-shot mini-missile launcher pod, three-shot short range missile pod, two medium-range missiles, or a single long-range or cruise-missile each. The T-F878 carries over the improved targeting systems of the T-F871, and even added an autodefence firing program for the wingtip swivel-mount particle beam cannons that could now fire three shots per melee per cannon without direct pilot-gunner input. The EW system has also been carried over, and upgraded to a system that gives active targeting systems a -3 to strike the fighter. The Vortex-3 also comes with the option of being fitted with either a more energy-efficient Null-Drive or a more conventional CG-FTL drive(speed of 2 light years/hour). The Vortex-3 carries the hefty price tag of 110 million credits each ship, but many CCW militaries consider the expenditure worth it after seeing the new fighter in trials.

Between the upgrades and the new variants, Tyrell Industries looks to be bouncing back from its financial slump and is poised to again be in the running with the big defense corps..
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
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Re: Starship designs...

Unread post by taalismn »

Corianus-Typhen-Rosette League Shi-class Battlecruiser
(aka ‘Smite-Pipe’, ‘Shi-itter’, ‘Pave-Pipper’)
“These tubes look antiquated, but the remodeling’s made them virtually entirely new ships under the skin. The Corianians took some of the best the Alliance had to offer and took advantage to upgrade an already strong performer.”

“The refit Shis made a splash literally when they debuted with a bombardment of the Splugorth orbital defenses around Genahser. Their kinetics really did a number on the moonbase there and opened up near-space to the rest of the liberation force. What wasn’t shattered in the first salvoes was so blinded by the debris kicked up by even near-misses that the Splug gunners couldn’t get a lock on the follow-up barrages. ”

“The Shi is meant for ‘recon-by-fire’. They can go in to perform scans and support scout missions with the ability to stage a fighting retreat if things go sour. They also provide first contact missions with some visible clout to prevent the diplomatic teams from being ambushed or ‘detained’ by opportunistic locals. It helps that by curious coincidence they can sometimes be mistaken on long-range scanners for a Zaxus battleship. That’s helped our power projection image; a lot of potential troublemakers turn tail or go hide, thinking we got a lot more heavy firepower covering our sectors.”

“With the sheer number of secondary particle beam batteries and the point defense lasers going, there develops a faint aura of ionization around the ships, further enhanced by the anti-flash skinning on their hulls. The overall effect is of a saintly glow around these ships...well, saintly if you subscribe to the Church of Heavy Cosmic Firepower and you’re not the benighted heathen in the cruiser’s sights.”

The Shi-class battlecruiser served the Corianan Navy well during the Liberation of Rosette, but the design became long in the tooth overnight when contact was resumed with the Human Alliance and the CCW. However, the ships, being stoutly constructed, were evaluated as being suitable for refit with newer technologies, and there were enough spare hulls that a life-extension program could be economically sound, giving the Corianan Navy a good strong naval reserve, as well as allowing them to spread surplus units to their allies, while they evaluated the future prospects of the design.
As refit, the Shi-class is similar to the CCW Explorer-class cruiser, with a combination of anti-ship combat and ground support as missions. Unlike the Lindsay-class, which was stripped down(some critics say ‘flayed’) to be refit as dedicated exploation ships, the Shis kept their mass and heavy guns as fire support vessels. The refits are also more expensive, but the result has been a faster, more powerful, far-ranging unit.
Upgrades to the class include more efficient engines, expanded sensory capabilities, and . They retain a heavy armament and armor protection, but with the added bonuses of improved fire control and variable forcefields. While the CTRLN Shis were heavy on ammunition-dependent armaments, however, Expeditionary Force-conversion Shis have replaced half the rail gun mounts with energy weapons. They also retain their ability to carry four destroyer-sized parasite craft; in the Corianan Navy, these ae usually Hauberk-class DDs. Expeditionary craft will typically carry scout corvettes or jump-barges carrying networked FTL-sensor and -comm ‘black’ satellites to establish sector-wide early warning nets.
While the majority of refit Shis remain with the CTRL, a number of them serve on detached/option-to-buy loan to the United Systems Alliance. It is not uncommon to see the large ships as part of squadrons with their WZT/CTRL-CG-18 Duval Heavy Cruiser and PS/CTRL-SBGC01 Tarkas Battlecruiser cousins.
A number of Shis have been forwarded to the Milky Way Galaxy as exploration-support vessels because of their extended endurance and heavy protection. Though some critics have decried the ‘gunboat diplomacy’ deployments of Shis, others have lauded the cautious and confident projection of power, and expeditionary groups are more often than not happy for the protection these vessels afford them.
The success of the Shi conversion, thus far, has kept the option open for continued production of the type.

Type: WZT/CTRL-CE018 Shi
Class: Heavy Cruiser
Crew: 750 + 120 passengers+ 180 aerospace squadron/support(not including the crews of any parasite craft)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 70,000
Bridge 2,000
Main Engines 19,000
Auxiliary Engnes(2) 4,000 each
Docking Pylons(2) 3,600 each
Hangar Bays(2) 2,000 each
Heavy Kinetic Cannons(4) 1,000 each
Heavy Laser Cannon(8 ) 900 each
Secondary Particle Beam Cannon(21) 380 each
Multi-Mode Missile Launchers(8 ) 400 each
Point Defense Turrets(12) 360 each
Variable Forcefield* 10,000 each side(60,000 total)
*Variable Forcefields regenerate at 20% per melee
Height: 380 ft
Width: 400 ft , 900 ft ‘wingspan’ at the docking pylons
Length: 3,000 ft
Weight: 9 million tons
Cargo: 55,000 tons
Powerplant: Matter-AntiMatter w/ 50 year energy life
Backup Nuclear Fusion w/ 40 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 13
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.3% of light speed per melee)
Under auxiliary power, the Shi can move at Mach 7
Engaging both the main engines and the auxiliaries as supplemental boosters, the Shi can hit overdrive speeds of Mach 15, though this is only recommended for no more than 4 hours to avoid overstressing the power systems(each additional hour at overdrive speeds carries a cumulative 5% chance of incurring an engine shutdown requiring 4 hours of cooldown before the main engines can be brought back up to full power).
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: Estimated at 28 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
*Enhanced Sensors---In keeping with the Shi’s re-classification as an exploration type, the battlecruiser’s sensors have been upgraded. The ‘wing’ pylons double as mounts for improved wide-angle long range sensor arrays. Detects FTL travel up to 28 ly, and sublight vessels up to .96 ly.

*ORACLE Mk V---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). Linkage to the Ectofiber Grid has increased the sensitivity and effectiveness of this system.
See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
• See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
• Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
• Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected(requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500,000 miles (805,000 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

*Docking Collars(4)----Four external docking collars with extending tubeways and system connections for servicing additional starships docked to the Shi. These are operationally used to carry smaller ships up to 15,000 tons in mass.

*Tractor Beams(6)--------Effectively each rated for 1,500 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass.
Range: 10 miles in space(NOT usable in atmosphere)(Kitsune Values: 10,000 miles in space).

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Kinetic Cannons(4)---The direct-fire teeth of the Shis are these bow-mounted heavy rail cannon.
Range: 40 miles in atmosphere, 120 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 120 miles in atmosphere, 120,000 miles in space)
Damage:(Slug) 1d6x1,000 MD
(Fragmentor) 4d6x10 MD to a 1,000 ft radius
(Fusion) 1d4 x 1,000 MD to a 1 mile destruction radius
Can also fire the newly-developed Starshock, Ion Storm, Gravity Well, Solar Flare, and Nebula warhead rounds.
Rate of Fire: Once per three melees
Payload: 150 rds per cannon. Additional shells may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes

2) Heavy Laser Cannon(8 )--Secondary bow armament.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 20 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per single blast, 8d6x100 for six cannons firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee. Up to four cannons can be brought to bear on the same target simultaneously.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Secondary Particle Beam Cannon(21) ---Strong secondary battery of PBCs.
Range:7 miles in atmosphere, 14 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 14 miles in atmosphere, 14,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per cannon
Rate of Fire: Each barrel can fire three times per melee; up to four cannon can be brought to bear on the same target simultaneously and fired in synch as one action.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Secondary Kinetic Cannons(10) --Standard USA KEWCs able to fire different warloads.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per 80 rd burst, 2d4x100 MD for both cannon firing simultaneously
(Frag) 4d6 x10 MD to a 100 ft area, +2d6x10 +50ft per barrel
Rate of Fire:EGCHH. Up to three cannons can be brought to bear on the same target simultaneously.
Payload: 32,000 rds (400 bursts) per cannon, ~30 minute reload from stores

5) Multi-Mode Missile Launchers(8 ) -----The CTRLN has adopted modular multi-mode missile launch systems from the USAJC, replacing the previous mix of medium- and long-range launchers. Though the combined missile voley-strength is rather low, compared to other equivalent warships, the added ‘fire and forget’ long range firepower is still considerable. Can also fire probes and countermeasure decoys.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: Long Range Missiles-- 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Medium Range Missiles--160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Long Range Missiles)Volleys of 1-4
(Medium Range Missiles)Volleys of 1-8
Payload:(Long Range Missiles) 60 LRMs per launcher, Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes.
(Medium Range Missiles)120 missiles per launcher, Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes.

6) Point Defense Turrets(12) -----The CTRLN has adopted the modular ASI/WZT PDS as standard.

Auxiliary Craft:
12 Aerospace Fighters
6 Shuttles
4 parasite craft up to 15,000 tons in mass each.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
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taalismn
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Re: Starship designs...

Unread post by taalismn »

Malon Industries “Angelus’ Medium Interstellar Transport
(aka ‘Ceester’, ‘Crescent Crate’)
“Brush up on your air-foil skills if you want to get the most of your new Angelus. You can fly this thing through the soup on just aerodynamics if you have to, but don’t expect flitter-acrobatics; it’s a brick waiting to drop. So it’s good advice to keep the thrusters warm in case you need to power out of a drop-dive. Still, if you absolutely have to, you can glide to a landing if you know what to do. That’s a lot better than most anti-grav-dependent star-slabs buzzing around these days.”

“The Ceester’s got some good stable in-atmo handling characteristics, which will make it appealing to colonial development, but its space-handling is less agile. Extendable docking tunnels are a must with this thing in mating with an orbital, because the wings aren’t exactly narrow to fit some of the station slips out there, and the ship lacks a nose-mount docking hatch, which is rather unusual for a Malon design.
The main problem with the Angelus is, though it has better payload capacity than the Sunchaser, is that Malon, like a lot of other coreworld companies, is ‘locked in’ to its own inhouse engine suppliers and traditional subcontractors. There’s little potential in the design for ‘growth’ engines outsourced from non-Malon associates.”

“These ships making atmo-reentry cut a distinctive broad bow plasma shockwave that can’t be missed. Very unlike Malon’s military dropship designs, but forgivable in a civilian design. In fact, it’s touted as a aesthetic feature; part of the ‘light wave’ in the new rollout campaign’s name.”

Shortly after the shakeup in the CCW, Malon Industries launched an effort to gain (or regain) market-share against inroads in the commercial transport market by the emergent Rim aerospace companies. The ‘White Light Wave’(so-called because of the bright white color scheme of factory-fresh hulls), a series of new vessels aimed at the civilian market(Malon’s previous business was light transport contracts for the military), promises greater appeal to small businesses and civilian concerns.
In reality, the ‘White Light Wave’-series is little more than reworked older or previously-proposed designs, updated and modified with some new streamlining and a slick publicity campaign.
The ‘Angelus’ is a low-end medium interstellar transport notable for its broad and thick curved forward wing. The ship is a span-loader, the main cargo holds being in the wings, but a centerline docking port allows both bays to be serviced through the central hull when in space. A skinning of thermal-resistant material keeps the ship safe during repeated atmospheric maneuvering.
Malon’s experience with military craft shows through in that the ship is structurally tough, especially with the extra stresses imposed by the wing assembly, and has reliable, low-maintenance engine systems. Though this resilience comes with a higher price tag, the Angelus is still expected to get interest from small transport companies and branch local delivery services looking for reliable ships.

Type: MI-MIC027 ‘Angelus’
Class: Medium Interstellar Transport
Crew: 5-8
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,200
Bridge 700
Engines 1,000
Wings(2) 800 each
Forcefield 1,000
Height: 48 ft
Width: 180 ft wingspan
Length: 230 ft
Weight: 2,000 tons
Cargo: 400 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 25 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4 light years per hour
Market Cost: 180 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Light Starship Systems, plus:
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. This covers the ENTIRE vehicle.
Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with up to four Point Defense Mounts.
Auxiliary Craft: None
Variants:
None yet, as Malon Industries is waiting to see how the new ships fare in the marketplace, but but Malon is reportedly working on a number of variants with larger wings and correspondingly larger cargo payloads. There has been, as yet, no move to address the most commonly expressed Fringe-line desire for an upgradeable propulsion system.

Malon Industries ‘Photan’ Light Interstellar Cargo Transport
(aka ‘Jepster’)
“This space-jetter’s not much more than an extended-frame runabout with a payload capacity that makes it barely economical to make interstellar runs. It’s the sort of ship they give newbies or the corp-exec’s son to make them feel useful doing milk-runs in secure space. ”

“Malon hopes with this new sales wave to inoculate the core and out-core markets against the Rim competition before the rimmies can start making serious inroads into the cores. Just as the Rim aerospace corps are appealing to local-built pride, Malon’s banking on reminding the metroworlds that core-built means quality and style.”

“Despite what everybody in the Core is saying, this thing isn’t going to displace sales of the Baskin any time; it lacks the sheer versatility of the Baskin and the Malon brand just doesn’t carry enough weight in the Rim to make potential buyers overlook the simple facts of that.”

The ‘Photan’ is a light interstellar transport recently introduced as part of Malon Industries’ ‘White Light Wave’ sales campaign of ‘new’ models meant to appeal to the commercial market.
The Photan has a short, lean, streamlined body, conical prow, bubble-canopied life-section, and finned rear propulsion section. Cargo is stored immediately adjacent aft of the life section in a series of vertical ‘wells’ sized for holding standardized cargo ‘cans’. The Photan is meant for short fast local runs; its propulsion and crew accommodations are ill-suited to longer flights.
Some regard the Photan as Malon’s effort to steal away sales from the WZT ‘Baskin’ light transport, but in reality the Photan is actually a reworking of a nearly forgotten older Malon design, the MI-LCF-03, a rather staid and unremarkable intersystem cargo mule. Malon has taken the old tender, added a streamlined nose and associated navigation sensors, shoehorned in a new engine, and given it a new bright paint job and name. The Photan lacks the Baskin’s modularity and versatility, despite a number of variants released by the company. In its defense, the Photan does have a near-military grade engine, allowing the otherwise unprepossessing small freighter to possess an acceleration/deceleration curve and higher maximum speed better than many other cargo craft.

Type: MI-LICcJ ‘Photan’
Class: Light Interstellar Cargo Transport
Crew: 3-4
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 900
Bridge 600
Engines 700
Tail Fin/Communications Array 400
Forcefield 800
Height: 40 ft(at tail fin)
Width: 35 ft
Length: 120 ft
Weight: 400 tons
Cargo: 72 tons (or six Standard Cans) in six top-loading ‘cells’.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 6
(Kitsune Values: 25% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Market Cost: 110 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Light Starship Systems, plus:
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. This covers the ENTIRE vehicle.
Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with a single Point Defense turret
Auxiliary Craft: None
Variants:
* MI-LICcJ-B---This variant simply replaces the cargo ‘well’ section with a more conventional open space cargo bay. Side hatches( 200 MD each) provide access. It can carry 80 tons, but takes longer to load/unload using conventional equipment.

* MI-LICcj-L---This variant replaces the center section with expanded life support quarters, adds a few more fins, and a few internal amenities. The life support section can now carry an additional 12 passengers in comfort, or 48 cramped, plus 8 tons of cargo under the main deck. Some of the cargo well hatches of the baseline cargo model are refitted as sundome ports on the -LICcj-L . It’s rumored in certain circles that the ‘Photan-L’ is meant as Malon’s swipe at Nosan Corps’ deep segment cut of the low end interstellar yacht market

* MI-LICcJ-M---’Torpedo Boat’ aerospace militia conversion of the Photan, it replaces the cargo bay wells with missile launch cells( can carry a warload of 96 short range missiles, OR 48 medium range missiles, OR 18 long range missiles OR 12 cruise missiles), and adds associated fire control and target-acquisition sensors. A speed booster ups maximum speed to Mach 10. A high-end commercial forcefield with 1,200 MDC comes standard.
The MI-LICcJ-M seems a nod to Malon’s normal customer base in the military, as well as a hook to encourage customers to buy the ships as ‘light escorts’ and orbital/system defense boats. So far interest in the type has been lukewarm, but Malon hopes that the market will bite at this latest defense product.

Malon Industries ‘Novan” Interstellar Transport
(aka ‘Power-sleigh’)
“The bright white skinning and smoothed-out curves don’t hide the blunt brute force lines and the big engine blocs on this cargo hyper-sled. It lacks the payload capacity of a standard merchantman, but it can get what it can carry there a lot faster. We're guessing it's meant to appeal to the operator who wants to feel like a runner, while remaining within the letter of the law.”

The ‘Novan’ is the largest of the new ‘White Light Wave’ ships from Malon Industries. It is a high-end medium interstellar transport that some believe is intended to compete with the ASI Carpathian. A stout structure, good payload, and large brute-force engines characterize the Novan.
The Novan has a lozenge-shaped hull with flanking engine nacelles at the rear. The bridge is in a heavily-glazed dome-cage with a good view of the forward arcs of the hull. Large central cargo bays load from a nose port, making for easy and quick docking with standard station porting. Armor protection is substantial, and the ship has the ability to be fitted with up to eight weapons stations, but speed is considered the ship’s best defense.
Factory-fresh Novans sport the blazingly-bright white paint scheme that is characteristic of the ‘White Light Wave’ ships, but many buyers have their own livery schemes painted in its place.

Type: MI-MIC029 ‘Novan’
Class: Medium Interstellar Transport
Crew: 6-9 +8 passengers.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 3,000
Bridge 800
Engines 1,200
Secondary Engines(2) 800 each
Forcefield 2,000
Height: 35 ft
Width: 80 ft
Length: 320 ft
Weight: 3,800 tons
Cargo: 1,900 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 9
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.9% of light speed per melee)
(Auxiliary) Mach 6
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
Market Cost: 190 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Light Starship Systems, plus:
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. This covers the ENTIRE vehicle.
Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with up to 4 standard Light Starship Weapons and 4 Point Defense turrets.

Auxiliary Craft: None
Variants:
None, so far; the Novan’s still very new. However, recently plans purportedly to have been leaked through corporate espionage describe a possible gunship variant filling the internal cargo bay with a double-barrel medium-grade starship weapon, fixed-forward firing position and its own power supply, two 10-salvo medium range missile launchers with 50 additional missiles each, two point defense turrets, engine booster system(Mach 11 speed) and an upgrade to a variable shield system.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
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Posts: 47908
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Starship designs...

Unread post by taalismn »

AddisonTechnar AT-D17 ‘Cicalus’ Space Yacht
(aka ‘Dome-winger’)
“Thing looks like an oversized pre-space travel airbreather airborne radar platform, except that the radome’s got skylights and is the size of a fair-sized house, and the wings have spacedrive pods on the end. One of Addison’s loopier designs, but it seems to sell well.”

“Even if you’re not planning on landing anywhere and taking in the air and water, the Cicalus is perfect for just cruising in space, sunbathing in the light of the stars.”

The Cicalus is a popular space yacht design from CCW-based AddisonTechnar.
The Cicalus resembles a vintage airliner with a large radome perched atop its tail. Propulsion comes from a pair of wingtip-mounted engines; the dual drive offers redundancy. The dome houses the main quarters, while the lower aerodyne body houses secondary crew quarters, cargo bays, the mechanicals, powerplant and the main star drive.
Both the cockpit and the hab dome can eject from the rest of the ship and serve as lifeboat modules, though generally anything that would destroy/disable the ship would more than likely take out both modules as well. Still, the dual lifepods are touted as a major safety feature.
As a yacht, the Cicalus is not expected to engage in combat; it typically comes with a standard commercial forcefield and the option of being fitted with two point defense systems. Speed is considered the ship’s best defense, and the vessels have better than average acceleration profiles for civilian craft. They can also fly on one engine as well, though normal space speed will be HALF that of normal twin engine operation. Destroying the engine nacelles, however, will NOT disable the FTL drive, which is housed in the main body,
Cicaluses are best used on short flights of no more than a dozen of so light years’ range between neighboring systems; they lack the endurance for longer galactic voyages. If they must make long-range flights, it is advised that they be carried aboard a larger transport, or use an appropriate warp-gate/wormhole transit system.
Despite its odd appearance, the Cicalus is actually quite popular, with various cosmetic variations. It is becoming a common sight in galactic spaceport ‘marinas’ and ‘campgrounds’ within the more populous, well-traveled, and better policed regions of the Three Galaxies.

Type: AT-ISY-70 ‘Cicalus’
Class: Interstellar Space Yacht/Private Transport
Crew: 4+1-20 passengers(depending on accommodations)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,700
Cockpit/Bridge 500
Hab Dome 900
Wings/Engine Nacelles(2) 600 each*
Forcefield 1,000

*Destroying a Wing imposes a -15% to Piloting rolls in atmosphere. Destroying BOTH wings imposes a -30% penalty. The ship can still fly on contragravity systems, take off and land, but maneuvering will be clumsy and the controls will be stodgy.

Height: 64 ft
Width: 145 ft wingspan, hab dome diameter is 70 ft
Length: 152 ft
Weight: 270 tons
Cargo: 15 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear fusion w/ 25 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 4; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 30% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4 light years per hour
Market Cost: 180 million credits for the basic model (not including customized fittings)
Systems of Note:
Standard Ship Systems, plus:
*Emergency FTL Distress Beacon--Most effective when within monitored (and well-trafficked) space where the authorities can quickly triangulate the position of the distress call and dispatch a response.

*Type-2 Recycling; Closed-cycle recycling of air and water with very little lost material. Can also produce basic nutrient rations and basic material stock(plastics, synthetic fabrics, patching, metal wiring) from recovered/recycled material, though the latter isn’t nearly as efficient and cannot produce M-factor(megadamage) materials.

*Lifeboat Cockpit & Hab Dome---Both the bridge/cockpit and hab dome have independent emergency life support systems, can be ejected from the ship, and have limited deep space maneuvering capability(mainly to make their way to an awaiting rescue ship or orient themselves for atmospheric reentry.

Weapons Systems: None, but comes with the option of being fitted with two point defense systems
Auxiliary Craft: None
Some operators will carry one or two small vehicles in the lower cargo hold for planetary travel jaunts.
Variants:
As with any yacht, a wide range of personal customizations have been performed, mainly cosmetic, especially in the design of the hab dome and wings. Anti-laser polish/chroming is popular both for its protective and aesthetic values. Installation of more powerful engines, star drive, light variable forcefields, and one or two additional weapons are common. Some have been heavily automated into singleships that can be managed by one crew member. All at extra expense to the buyer/operator.
Some especially radical variants outfit the hab dome with an emergency FTL drive, allowing passengers to make their own way to safety, light years away, if they have to.
It’s rumored that a number of security agencies have taken advantage of the Cicalus’s resemblance to an antiquated AWACS platform to outfit them as exactly that; converted ELINT craft posing as yachts, the hab domes crammed full of sensitive electronic listening equipment and passive sensors.
It’s rumored that one pirate gang used a tricked-out Cicalus to carry a large space-mine disguised as the hab-dome and attached it to a larger liner to extort ransom from its passengers.



Malon Industries “Angelus’ Medium Interstellar Transport
(aka ‘Ceester’, ‘Crescent Crate’)
“Brush up on your air-foil skills if you want to get the most of your new Angelus. You can fly this thing through the soup on just aerodynamics if you have to, but don’t expect flitter-acrobatics; it’s a brick waiting to drop. So it’s good advice to keep the thrusters warm in case you need to power out of a drop-dive. Still, if you absolutely have to, you can glide to a landing if you know what to do. That’s a lot better than most anti-grav-dependent star-slabs buzzing around these days.”

“The Ceester’s got some good stable in-atmo handling characteristics, which will make it appealing to colonial development, but its space-handling is less agile. Extendable docking tunnels are a must with this thing in mating with an orbital, because the wings aren’t exactly narrow to fit some of the station slips out there, and the ship lacks a nose-mount docking hatch, which is rather unusual for a Malon design.
The main problem with the Angelus is, though it has better payload capacity than the Sunchaser, is that Malon, like a lot of other coreworld companies, is ‘locked in’ to its own inhouse engine suppliers and traditional subcontractors. There’s little potential in the design for ‘growth’ engines outsourced from non-Malon associates.”

“These ships making atmo-reentry cut a distinctive broad bow plasma shockwavethat can’t be missed. Very unlike Malon’s military dropship designs, but forgivable in a civilian design. In fact, it’s touted as a aesthetic feature; part of the ‘light wave’ in the new rollout campaign’s name.”

Shortly after the shakeup in the CCW, Malon Industries launched an effort to gain (or regain) market-share against inroads in the commerical transport market by the emergent Rim aerospace companies. The ‘White Light Wave’(so-called because of the bright white color scheme of factory-fresh hulls), a series of new vessels aimed at the civilian market(Malon’s previous business was light transport contracts for the military), promises greater appeal to small businesses and civilian concerns.
In reality, the ‘White Light Wave’-series is little more than reworked older or previously-proposed designs, updated and modified with some new streamlining and a slick publicity campaign.
The ‘Angelus’ is a low-end medium interstellar transport notable for its broad and thick curved forward wing. The ship is a span-loader, the main cargo holds being in the wings, but a centerline docking port allows both bays to be serviced through the central hull when in space. A skinning of thermal-resistant material keeps the ship safe during repeated atmosperic maneuvering.
Malon’s experience with military craft shows through in that the ship is structurally tough, especially with the extra stresses imposed by the wing assembly, and has reliable, low-maintenance engine systems. Though this resilience comes with a higher price tag, the Angelus is still expected to get interest from small transport companies and branch local delivery services looking for reliable ships.

Type: MI-MIC027 ‘Angelus’
Class: Medium Interstellar Transport
Crew: 5-8
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,200
Bridge 700
Engines 1,000
Wings(2) 800 each
Forcefield 1,000
Height: 48 ft
Width: 180 ft wingspan
Length: 230 ft
Weight: 2,000 tons
Cargo: 400 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 25 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4 light years per hour
Market Cost: 180 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Light Starship Systems, plus:
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. This covers the ENTIRE vehicle.
Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with up to four Point Defense Mounts.
Auxiliary Craft: None
Variants:
None yet, as Malon Industries is waitung to see how the new ships fare in the marketplace, but but Malon is reportedly working on a number of variants with larger wings and correspondingly larger cargo payloads. There has been, as yet, no move to address the most commonly expressed Fringe-line desire for an upgradeable propulsion system.

Malon Industries ‘Photan’ Light Interstellar Cargo Transport
(aka ‘Jepster’)
“This space-jetter’s not much more than an extended-frame runabout with a payload capacity that makes it barely economical to make interstellar runs. It’s the sort of ship they give newbies or the corp-exec’s son to make them feel useful doing milk-runs in secure space. ”

“Malon hopes with this new sales wave to innoculate the core and out-core markets against the Rim competition before the rimmies can start making serious inroads into the cores. Just as the Rim aerospace corps are appealing to local-built pride, Malon’s banking on reminding the metroworlds that core-built means quality and style.”

“Despite what everybody in the Core is saying, this thing isn’t going to displace sales of the Baskin any time; it lacks the sheer versatility of the Baskin and the Malon brand just doesn’t carry enough weight in the Rim to make potential buyers overlook the simple facts of that.”

The ‘Photan’ is a light interstellar transport recently introduced as part of Malon Industries’ ‘White Light Wave’ sales campaign of ‘new’ models meant to appeal to the commercial market.
The Photan has a short, lean, streamlined body, conical prow, bubble-canopied life-section, and finned rear propulsion section. Cargo is stored immediately adjacent aft of the life section in a series of vertical ‘wells’ sized for holding standardized cargo ‘cans’. The Photan is meant for short fast local runs; its propulsion and crew accommodations are ill-suited to longer flights.
Some regard the Photan as Malon’s effort to steal away sales from the WZT ‘Baskin’ light transport, but in reality the Photan is actually a reworking of a nearly forgotten older Malon design, the MI-LCF-03, a rather staid and unremarkable intersystem cargo mule. Malon has taken the old tender, added a streamlined nose and associated navigation sensors, shoehorned in a new engine, and given it a new bright paint job and name. The Photan lacks the Baskin’s modula
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"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
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