I hope this is an appropriate place to post this. Over the Xmas break I entertained myself by doing a spot of 3D modelling using Google Sketchup, and what better to model than the all-time classic spaceship design, the Type-S scout.
I've always loved the Type S design, but I've never really found a depiction of it that I liked - the elongated simple tetrahedron just didn't feel practical to me. Recently I stumbled upon Ted Lindsey's design http://tedlindsey.com/art/art/traveller_3d.html and it really had the 'wow' factor for me, but still had a couple of niggles.
I've always loved the idea of a modular design (ie like the modular cutter). So I worked on a Type S concept that shared some of these ideas, trying to make something that felt realistic and also a bit sexy.
Get the original Sketchup file here
The design fits closely with both the standard Type-S stats and the Seeker. I haven't fully designed deck plans, though I have added a few internal spaces and checked the volumes are in the right ball-park. Essentially the layout is a small bridge/cockpit up front. Just behind this is a small living space comprising a galley/lounge and two standard cabins (built into the angle of the hull, so probably unusual dimensions internally). This fits with the Seeker design so far.
Immediately rear of the living space is a large empty cargo volume (more on this in a moment) and running either side of this is an access corridor linking the crew lounge to the rear doors at the back of the ship. The right corridor also includes an airlock with dorsal and ventral access (ventral access is about 2m above ground level when standing, so this works out perfectly).
The cargo space is about 18m in length, 6m wide and 3m high, giving a tonnage of roughly 24tons, which fits almost exactly with the Seeker design. Standard fuel tankage is distributed in hull spaces in the outboard 'wings' and also beneath the floor.
To make this into a Type-S you need to install a secondary accommodation module. I envision 'standard' cargo modules of dimensions 6x3x3m in size or 4tons, 'double' modules of 6x6x3m or 12x3x3m - or 8tons. The secondary accommodation module is a double module providing living space for 2 more crew, again fitting nicely with the standard 4ton stateroom rule. This double module is probably installed up front, leaving space behind for an 8ton additional fuel module and a 8ton cargo space (most likely giving over 4tons of this to an air/raft garage). This gives you the standard Type-S setup
I've also provided top-loading door for the front 8tons of cargo space, meaning it'd be possible to interchange the front module without removing the rear two first.
Fuel scoops and a turret are also visible on the pictures, and I've shown a bunch of different possible cargo module combinations. The rear cargo door tri-folds into a ramp, and when folding provides vacuum seal to the whole cargo hold, although I imagine modules are pressurised if they need to be. The two access corridors have doorways that allow direct access to any module, with doorways in the centre of each 6m module wall. These corridors also allow engineering access to the M and J drives and powerplants (I imagine a dual powerplant setup, one with each M-drive, for redundancy).
I imagine a design like this would give the Scouts a lot of operational flexibility - extended range fuel modules could be quickly added, or mission specific palettes such as survey equipment or a laboratory. If the entire hold was given over to fuel you could have a ship capable of two jumps between refuelling.
For me, the benefit of having a design like this worked out is my players can easily visualise that they could drop that additional 8tons of fuel (because, who needs 14 weeks of operation after all !?) and use the space for cargo or fare-paying passengers
(edit)
It's a bit difficult to reverse engineer what the actual tonnage of this design is because of it's shape: maximum height ignoring the turret is 5.8m, with 26m and length 37m: a pyramid with those dimensions is about 130 tons, to get to 100tons is probably a bit of a handwave due to the shape. I flattened the ship slightly, making it a bit sleeker looking and also getting the tonnage closer to 100tons.
There's also a bit of 'spare' volume just above the front-most module and the bay doors above - probably a good place to stash those 10 recon probes that the Type-S carries, especially as they'd be easily deployable through the bay doors.
I hope you like the design, and I'd be interested in hearing your comments and feedback.
I've always loved the Type S design, but I've never really found a depiction of it that I liked - the elongated simple tetrahedron just didn't feel practical to me. Recently I stumbled upon Ted Lindsey's design http://tedlindsey.com/art/art/traveller_3d.html and it really had the 'wow' factor for me, but still had a couple of niggles.
I've always loved the idea of a modular design (ie like the modular cutter). So I worked on a Type S concept that shared some of these ideas, trying to make something that felt realistic and also a bit sexy.
Get the original Sketchup file here
The design fits closely with both the standard Type-S stats and the Seeker. I haven't fully designed deck plans, though I have added a few internal spaces and checked the volumes are in the right ball-park. Essentially the layout is a small bridge/cockpit up front. Just behind this is a small living space comprising a galley/lounge and two standard cabins (built into the angle of the hull, so probably unusual dimensions internally). This fits with the Seeker design so far.
Immediately rear of the living space is a large empty cargo volume (more on this in a moment) and running either side of this is an access corridor linking the crew lounge to the rear doors at the back of the ship. The right corridor also includes an airlock with dorsal and ventral access (ventral access is about 2m above ground level when standing, so this works out perfectly).
The cargo space is about 18m in length, 6m wide and 3m high, giving a tonnage of roughly 24tons, which fits almost exactly with the Seeker design. Standard fuel tankage is distributed in hull spaces in the outboard 'wings' and also beneath the floor.
To make this into a Type-S you need to install a secondary accommodation module. I envision 'standard' cargo modules of dimensions 6x3x3m in size or 4tons, 'double' modules of 6x6x3m or 12x3x3m - or 8tons. The secondary accommodation module is a double module providing living space for 2 more crew, again fitting nicely with the standard 4ton stateroom rule. This double module is probably installed up front, leaving space behind for an 8ton additional fuel module and a 8ton cargo space (most likely giving over 4tons of this to an air/raft garage). This gives you the standard Type-S setup
I've also provided top-loading door for the front 8tons of cargo space, meaning it'd be possible to interchange the front module without removing the rear two first.
Fuel scoops and a turret are also visible on the pictures, and I've shown a bunch of different possible cargo module combinations. The rear cargo door tri-folds into a ramp, and when folding provides vacuum seal to the whole cargo hold, although I imagine modules are pressurised if they need to be. The two access corridors have doorways that allow direct access to any module, with doorways in the centre of each 6m module wall. These corridors also allow engineering access to the M and J drives and powerplants (I imagine a dual powerplant setup, one with each M-drive, for redundancy).
I imagine a design like this would give the Scouts a lot of operational flexibility - extended range fuel modules could be quickly added, or mission specific palettes such as survey equipment or a laboratory. If the entire hold was given over to fuel you could have a ship capable of two jumps between refuelling.
For me, the benefit of having a design like this worked out is my players can easily visualise that they could drop that additional 8tons of fuel (because, who needs 14 weeks of operation after all !?) and use the space for cargo or fare-paying passengers
(edit)
It's a bit difficult to reverse engineer what the actual tonnage of this design is because of it's shape: maximum height ignoring the turret is 5.8m, with 26m and length 37m: a pyramid with those dimensions is about 130 tons, to get to 100tons is probably a bit of a handwave due to the shape. I flattened the ship slightly, making it a bit sleeker looking and also getting the tonnage closer to 100tons.
There's also a bit of 'spare' volume just above the front-most module and the bay doors above - probably a good place to stash those 10 recon probes that the Type-S carries, especially as they'd be easily deployable through the bay doors.
I hope you like the design, and I'd be interested in hearing your comments and feedback.
. Though I think it looks a bit odd that the cargo doors and hatches on the top are just cutting through the lines of the hull like they are.
Sketchup is definitely better at that than the more organic shapes - I did try smoothing off the vertices, but it actually doesn't look as good.
