Airship aircraft carrier

O

Old timer

Banded Mongoose
Airship aircraft carrier of Valas.
So, using a combination of the vehicle book and my fevered imaginations, I present to you the sky class aircraft carrier from the world of Valas (UPP- X7D6775-4(5) Fl, Lt)

Airship aircraft carrier
TL-4
Skill-Flyer, airships.
Agility, -4
Speed-100kph
Range-4000km
Crew/passengers-68
Cargo-36.5 tons.
Open-no
Hull-200
Structure envelope-1000
Structure gondola-200
Cost-20,201,000cr
Shipping size-500tons+envelope.
Weapons.
40 LMGs in ring mounts, 8 all facings except bottom. 12,000 round each.
armour-2 all facings.
Equipment.
TL4 communications, boosted range, basic navigation, 2x medium cranes, 18 vehicle (plane) bays, 10 fresher’s, full galley.
It carries 12 Mk 1 fighters, and 6 Mk1 light bombers.

Fighter and bombers profiles to follow
 
And the fighter and bomber it launches.

Mk 1 fighter

TL-4
Skill-flyer,
Agility, +1
Speed-180kph
Range-330Km
Crew/passengers-1
Cargo-0
Open- no
Hull-2
Structure -2
Cost- 155,000cr
Shipping size- 3.75tons
Weapons.
2 fixed forward LMGs, 12,000 rounds each.
Armour- 2 all facings.
Equipment.
Folding wings, speedx2, increased range (fuel efficient)x1

Mk1 bomber.

TL-4
Skill-flyer
Agility-0
Speed-150
Range-330
Crew/passengers-2
Cargo-0
Open- no
Hull-2
Structure -2
Cost- 110,000
Shipping size- 3.75tons
Weapons.
1x ring mounted LMG 12,000 rounds (rear, sides only)
4x medium bombs
Armour- 2 all facing.
Equipment.
Folding wings, reduced agiltyx1, increased range x1 (fuel efficient)
 
Just for reference the US Navy did have airships that could launch a plane. So not entirely your imagination at work.
 
Ah, thought i had seen or heard of this idea somewhere else, glad to see i am not the only person to entertain such 'interesting' ideas :)
 
That would be the USS Macon. It could carry 5 Sparrowhawk fighters that were launched/recovered via a hook/lever sort of system. From what I've read it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do.

How are your planes/bombers recovered?

Oh, you can get more info on the Macon here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Macon_%28ZRS-5%29
 
The planes would be recovered by an arrestor hook on the flight deck, which would be on top of the airship (it sci fi, so i will bend the rules a little, not sure if the idea would work, but after an image search found pictures that fit the idea). Conversely the flight deck could also be suspended beneath the envelope.
Coming next, airship destroyer, cruiser and heavy bomber (Kirov!)
 
The planes would be recovered by an arrestor hook on the flight deck, which would be on top of the airship (it sci fi, so i will bend the rules a little, not sure if the idea would work, but after an image search found pictures that fit the idea).
Click to expand...

So essentially Spectrum Skybase or S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier?
 
Dont know what a S.H.E.I.L.D helicarrrier looks like, and the spectrum skybase is way too hi tech compared to this. These ideas are just for fun, and to test the build rules to see what comes out of them.
 
locarno24 said:
The planes would be recovered by an arrestor hook on the flight deck, which would be on top of the airship (it sci fi, so i will bend the rules a little, not sure if the idea would work, but after an image search found pictures that fit the idea).
Click to expand...

So essentially Spectrum Skybase or S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier?
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking.

LBH
 
That's what I was thinking.
Click to expand...
Spectrum is Beige.


Dont know what a S.H.E.I.L.D helicarrrier looks like, and the spectrum skybase is way too hi tech compared to this. These ideas are just for fun, and to test the build rules to see what comes out of them.
Click to expand...

Sounds cool.
One thought (not sure if vehicle rules reflect this) - what's in the envelope? Hydrogen or helium? Only, if hydrogen envelopes are the common in a military environment, some sort of incendiary rounds would be the order of the day for the main armament (some of the more off-the-wall ballistic flamethrowers from CSC would give you an ammo cost for this).

The fighters look interesting. The transition between TL4-5 has always been a bit vague, to my mind - TL6 is fairly easy, as computers and electronic (as opposed to merely electrical) elements are the key. Stats (speed, range and armament) stack pretty well against a sopwith camel (185 Km/H, 485km range, 2 0.303" lmgs), just with the addition of a closed canopy. Volume sort of matches as well. One of the best things about traveller as a system is when it covers the whole sweep of technology and still sort of works.

The bomber seems a touch odd. Same size, and almost as agile, so it seems odd it doesn't have any forward guns, just its single defensive mount (which can't shoot forwards). Most things of this size historically doubled as a heavy fighter (especially in a zeppelin-rich environment, where you could strap on a heavier autocannon in place of the bombs to make a carrier-hunting gunship variant).
 
The bomber was just to see if one could take the fighter form and turn it into a light bomber, the spaces are the restricting factor. It is very loosely based of WW1 planes like the Bristol type 22 F.2B, the lack of front gun is actual an oversight of mine (should carry three bombs and the space left would fit an extra forward fixed LMG).
The design rules do include the envelope of the airship, but dont specify if it is hydrogen or helium.
 
The bomber was just to see if one could take the fighter form and turn it into a light bomber, the spaces are the restricting factor. It is very loosely based of WW1 planes like the Bristol type 22 F.2B, the lack of front gun is actual an oversight of mine (should carry three bombs and the space left would fit an extra forward fixed LMG).
The design rules do include the envelope of the airship, but dont specify if it is hydrogen or helium.
Click to expand...

How quick was it to do? The big appeal to me is being able to assemble enemy vehicles in the hour or so prep time I get without too much trouble...
 
The planes took a few minutes to put together, the airship a little longer, but i cant see it taking more than 30 minutes tops for large and complicated vehicles, probably even quicker once you know the design sequence. The book says about 5 minutes for simple craft, and that feels about right.
 
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