Concept Illustration: triple missile turret

[wbnc]

I have been working to polish my work, and part of it was creating components for my other work.So I set down and designed a series of turrets. I went with canister styled launchers since turrets house a ton of missile internally.

a simple rail launcher could be used, with a reload system to cyclpe new missiles into place, however I was inspired by the TOW missile launcher on an old M-113 anti-tank vehicle. That and the Rolling Airframe Launchers.



I wanted it to be able to fold down out of the way, elevate, and then cycle into a loading position.It took some time to get it worked. There are some problems with it but I am no engineer.

I built the model in several sections, so it can be animated, if i ever get that good

Here's the fluff text.

Missiles are one of the standard weapons of most forms of modern combat, they deliver a powerful, accurate punch at great distances often able to inflict critical damage on any but the most heavily armored targets. Using a wide variety of warheads, seekers, propulsion, and guidance systems, missiles are flexible, energy efficient, and powerful weapons. when combined into multi-launcher batteries they can send waves of lethal ordnance at an enemy that may be hard pressed to defend against the incoming fire.

The missile launcher can be attached to other weapons mounts, including laser, sandcaster, and particle weapons, as well as ballistic turrets. combining weapons in a single mount do give extra flexibility on ships with limited hardpoints, however the most powerful arrangements combine missiles into a single battery.

The smallest launcher typically carried by a starship is the turret mount. a canister fitted with firecontrol linkages to the ships own sensors feeds target data to the missiles own guidance and seeker systems, directs the missile in the general direction of the target, and fires the missile. from that point on the missiles sensors, and flight control systems take over and the gunnery team can move on to the next target, or fire additional salvos at the same target.

While launchers can be a simple rail fed individual missiles from a ready store placed near the launcher, a common model places the missiles in a single canister mounted on arms to lift it clear of the hull to freely rotate and elevate to track targets, then fold away when not in use. to reload a fresh canister of missiles, the mount rotates the canister into position over loading hatches, a fresh canister is slid into the canister, and locked into place. This speeds reload times, but is not universal, however many missile launcher uses the fire, rotate to reload position, back into firing position cycle.

to reduce the mass being rotated by the mount fire control, and anchoring structures are located it eh hull of the ship, allowing a gunner, to set in the position or operate it from remote stations elsewhere in the ship. The pedestal is still required to mount data transfer, sensor linkages, and power systems for the various hardware to operate the weapon systems.

 

[phavoc]

Traveller missiles need not have a direct line of sight to their target to hit, unlike a TOW missile. A Traveller missile can be fired 180 degrees off bore and still align itself towards it's targets. And the missile launch mechanism isn't a magnetic accelerator, and therefore provides no additional speed or any other bonus to a missile. Which means the launching mechanism has no need to move into a launch position for loading (a more accurate example might be the old Talos / Terrier systems that had the launcher move to a specific position for reloads to be put on the rails).

There's really no need to have a turret launch mechanism in the first place. Now sandcasters would need to be fired in the proper angle, but not missiles. With the illustration I would say it would be far more like a sandcaster launcher, which ejects larger barrels or pellets than a missile launcher. If that were the case then much of what you have would be reasonable and applicable - at least moreso than a missile launcher.

 

[wbnc]

Traveller missiles need not have a direct line of sight to their target to hit, unlike a TOW missile. A Traveller missile can be fired 180 degrees off bore and still align itself towards it's targets. And the missile launch mechanism isn't a magnetic accelerator, and therefore provides no additional speed or any other bonus to a missile. Which means the launching mechanism has no need to move into a launch position for loading (a more accurate example might be the old Talos / Terrier systems that had the launcher move to a specific position for reloads to be put on the rails).

There's really no need to have a turret launch mechanism in the first place. Now sandcasters would need to be fired in the proper angle, but not missiles. With the illustration I would say it would be far more like a sandcaster launcher, which ejects larger barrels or pellets than a missile launcher. If that were the case then much of what you have would be reasonable and applicable - at least moreso than a missile launcher.

yes I imagine there is no real need for any sort of mechanism for anything as advanced as a missile aboard a starship. IN all probability a missile rack would be a box with a bunch of blow of covers mounted on the external hull of the ship. Which is one version I did.

the rotating box launcher was the most visually interesting one of the designs I did, at least in my opinion..I'll put up the rest if you like...This was just the one I had finished with some basic textures. And had a bit of complexity to it.

 

[wbnc]

this is the box type, Vertical launch system style "turret" in this case it is a triple mount.If attached to a turret with other weapons the turret for other weapons would be mounted in place of one of the missile launchers.

the "box" would be mounted on the exterior, and the lower portion below the tapered region would be inside the ship to house reload and fire control systems

On advanced warships the need to direct warhead seekers into the direction of a target have been largely removed on military, and advanced civilian models. This simplifies the mechanical systems needed by the turret and allows a missile to be launched "off bore" then following its preloaded information. Once in flight the missile can redirect it's flight plan. And then acquire the designated target and then home in on it's target using its internal flight control systems.

The system is designed to hold up to three independent canisters which maintain a constant navigation feed to the missiles warheads, and sequence each missile for launch as needed.A system of lifts and internal handlers can reload each canister as it ready load is expended.This system with the firecontrol, data links, and other systems housed in the base and pedestal is simply mounted on an appropriately reinforced platform on the ships hull, and is available to fire within a short span of time.

Inside the main body of the mount there is a series of clamps and data relay, and power connections, relay each containerized missile into the stack under a quick open hatch. As missiles are fired the individual shipping canister is mechanically ejected. When all missiles are fired fresh missile containers are fed into the launcher through a loading gate on the bottom of the launch canister.

When not loading the missiles the loading mechanism is sealed with heavy armored blast panels to prevent explosions from an accidental detonation from reaching the ships interior and causing a chain reaction detonation of stored ordnance. this system allows rapid reload, without exposing the ships internal spaces to damage if the launcher is detonated by accidents, or hostile fire.

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The fact the system is external to the hull is due to the cat that while turrets take up no internal spaces each launcher holds one ton of missiles.. I imagine in some cases it could be placed between the internal spaces, and the outer hull like a micro-bay.

The pedestal, and loading tunnel could be used by technicians, or repair drones to access a damaged turret and reactivate it. Or carry out routine maintenance when the system isn't being used. All the time staying inside the ships outer shell, protected from micrometeors, and the environment of a jump bubble For situations when they need to do repairs, and routine work, while in jump.

 

[phavoc]

It's fine to make theme external, but that would still have to count towards displacement. The larger 'bays', which are often turrets and not bays, are purely external, but their displacement counts towards the overall tonnage requirements.

Traveller really could use an update of the rules and allow for VLS systems. Missiles and any indirect fire weapon needs no turret or external mechanism. But energy, kinetic and even sandcasters would require directional-based capabilities (even though the rules have abstracted that to the point where it's not an actual requirement).

 

[wbnc]

It's fine to make theme external, but that would still have to count towards displacement. The larger 'bays', which are often turrets and not bays, are purely external, but their displacement counts towards the overall tonnage requirements.

Traveller really could use an update of the rules and allow for VLS systems. Missiles and any indirect fire weapon needs no turret or external mechanism. But energy, kinetic and even sandcasters would require directional-based capabilities (even though the rules have abstracted that to the point where it's not an actual requirement).

this particular set of launchers is just a variant of a triple missile launcher. so It follows the rules for those. I have been working on a 100 ton bay type of launcher for this Style..at least a rough image of what I think one might look like...( or at least a possible variation on one.)

 

[phavoc]

Have you looked at how the older Taos / Terrier launchers worked? Or the Standard ones prior to them being replaced with box VLS systems. That may give you some better ideas behind feed mechanisms and such.

VLS makes things pretty easy.

 

[wbnc]

Have you looked at how the older Taos / Terrier launchers worked? Or the Standard ones prior to them being replaced with box VLS systems. That may give you some better ideas behind feed mechanisms and such.

VLS makes things pretty easy.

Yes, I did

I want with the turret mounted box system in the first illustration only because the description says that the mount holds it's ammo externally...I had tried to puzzle out a plausible single rail type launch system that fit that description at one point but that would require a large box of ammo behind, or below the turret on the outer hull of the ship.

Hmm I think I can whip up something like that

 

[phavoc]

Launchers on the perry class frigates should do the trick.

 

[wbnc]

Launchers on the perry class frigates should do the trick.

Yes it should

 

[phavoc]

Here's a pic of the Mk13 launcher. It only held 40 rounds, but it was an escort frigate, so in theory that should have been enough to hold off a localized attack..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_13_missile_launcher#/media/File:MK_13_GMLS_Diagram.jpg

 

[wbnc]

Here's a pic of the Mk13 launcher. It only held 40 rounds, but it was an escort frigate, so in theory that should have been enough to hold off a localized attack..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_13_missile_launcher#/media/File:MK_13_GMLS_Diagram.jpg

very useful for resource material

 

[phavoc]

This link is much better. Even goes into a lot of detail as far as the firing, launching and control mechanisms integrate into the overall system.

http://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Weapons/NAVEDTRA_14109_Ch7-8.pdf

 

[wbnc]

This link is much better. Even goes into a lot of detail as far as the firing, launching and control mechanisms integrate into the overall system.

http://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Weapons/NAVEDTRA_14109_Ch7-8.pdf

thats a bit of reading But real useful for figuring out the mechanical side of things.

Found these. the first just shows how fast the system can fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4zfsN4Ndd8

The second has a look at the intenral and functioning of the reload system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuRvHV6_1eQ

and this one on handling and assemply of missiles aboard a vessel..including Nuke armed Talos missiles.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpct4CLp9d4

 

[phavoc]

Cool videos. Getting an old Talos missile ready for firing was a chore! From the film it wasn't clear if they would go ahead and put together all the missiles while onboard (mating, attaching fins, etc), or if somehow they did this prior launch. Attaching the fins didn't take that long. I guess I'd have to go look up the fire rate to answer that question though.