Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

Q. At technological level twelve, we could install two one tonne manoeuvre drive modules.

R. That would give us an acceleration of 5.714285714285714 gees for a thirty five tonne hull.

S. Which should speed up package delivery considerably.

T. Default two tonnes of standard fusion power plant with thirty power points.

U. That's twenty eight and a half tonnes left over.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

V. No one's sure what exactly the rules are about pods.

W. Anyway, to interstellarize our utility craft, we plant an engineering pod on top.

X. The jump drive will be five tonnes overhead, plus seven and a half percent volume, for triparsec range.

Y. Assuming hundred tonnes (minimum), that would be twelve and a half tonnes, default.

Z. Plus, a specialist (jump) control centre.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

1. The interstellar pod can draw energy from the primary hull, but will have it's own power plant, going by existing examples.

2. The real sticking point is how large the specialist (jump) control centre will be.

3. There are two possible outcomes.

4. If it's based on the size of the containment hull, then three tonnes, there not being any smaller bridge to downgrade to.

5. If you assume it's a combination of both the primary and interstellar hulls, presumably seventy tonnes, then it would still be three tonees, downgraded from six.

6. If it's based on the smallest known default bridge for jumping, then it would be six tonnes, downgraded from ten.

7. We'll take the conservative approach, and say that the specialist (jump) control centre is six tonnes.

8. This doesn't that any non specialist (jump) control centre is six tonnes, for that given tonnage.

9. It may be three tonnes.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

A. Specialist (jump) control centre is six tonnes, and the jump drive twelve and a half tonnes.

B. That gives us eighteen and a half tonnes.

C. Three hundred parsec tonnes need thirty tonnes of fuel.

D. By sheer coincidence, two thirty five tonne hulls are seventy tonnes, and another thirty makes a hundred.

E. Which seems a little tight, even with another thirty five tonne fuel pod attached.

F. By having the same tonnage (and hull configuration), it should simplify hangar storage for all three hulls.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

G. The fuel pod could have actually have been a drop tank.

H. The drop tank could be more easily to attached and detached.

I. However, it seems to be incredibly fragile.

J. And, as a pod, can have two firmpoints and a monoturret, at thirty five tonnes.

K. You could even mobilize it.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

L. For three hundred fifteen parsec tonnes, with a range of three parsecs, you need a twelve and seven eighth tonne jump drive.

M. If it's clear that this is a viable starship design, we can name it the Raptor jump drive module.

N. Since, the Confederation Navy will be mass producing it.

O. Likely budgetted as being energy inefficient, to get that quarter off rebate.

P. The issue would be what would it take to take off the Interstellar pod, and how long?

 

[Condottiere]

Tonnage TL - Range - Model

3'150 - 14 - 5 - Beijing b/ei
3'150 - 14 - 4 - Prometheus a/rs
3'150 - 12 - 3 - Victory b/ei
0'315 - 14 - 5 - Dingir b/ei
0'315 - 12 - 3 - Texas b/ei
0'035 - 15 - 6 - Quicksilver b/ei
0'035 - 14 - 5 - Courier b/ei
0'035 - 13 - 4 - Marathon b/ei
0'035 - 12 - 3 - Striker b/ei
0'035 - 11 - 2 - Dassault b/ei
0'012.875 - 12 - 3 Raptor b/ei
0'010 - 11 - 2 - Scout b/ei
0'010 - 11 - 2 - Salvation b/is o/s
0'010 - 09 - 1 - Venture b/is

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

Q. There's actually more space in the interstellar pod.

R. You could increase the size of jump drive module to fifteen and a half tonnes.

S. Leaving thirteen and a half tonnes, for armament, power plant, and additional fuel tank.

T. Could be a replacement for the ecks boat.

U. In a cross shape, with two fuel pods as wings, you could increase the range to five parsecs.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

V. I'm not quite sure that the landing gear of a single thirty five tonne hull can hold up one and five, or even hundred forty, tonnes.

W. Can hold that up when landing.

X. And then, you have ground pressure.

Y. So, easy separation between the primary and interstellar pods would be ideal.

Z. If not, the interstellar pod might need a docking clamp.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

1. It would be (mathematically) simpler to have just two fifty tonne hulls.

2. But, this is the Confederation, where things need to be different.

3. Thirty five tonnes being the optimum for smallcraft, for armaments and armouring.

4. Assuming there is armouring.

5. Fifty tonnes being the cap for cockpits.

6. Currently, presumably.

7. Otherwise, it's two kilotonnes for a dual cockpit.

8. Normally, I'd check the publication date.

9. But will presume it's a case of copy paste.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

A. Fifty tonne hull allows the installation of a thirty five tonne jump drive.

B. We could easily scale up to a Marathon level, with quadroparsec range.

C. On the other hand, the idea is to make the Marathon as ubiquitous in the Confederation, as the Suleiman is in the Imperium.

D. The Raptor being an intermediate solution, as the Confederation really ramps up their Navy once they achieve a technological level thirteen industrial base.

E. With the Marathons in mass deployment, the need for the Raptors in reconnaissance and communication roles declines.

F. Except in their absence.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

G. Each thirty five tonne hull section would have a one tonne monoturret, virtual or not, and an untonned mounted fixture.

H. In theory, you could have both firmpoints in the untonned mounted fixture.

I. However, the monoturret, inefficient as it is, allows a greater deal of flexibility in armed response.

J. If engaged in a dogfight, it doesn't matter if the Confederation warcraft lost the initiative.

K. The monoturret can swivel in any direction, and potentially blast Snoopy.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

L. Being a starwarship, and Confederated, the mounted fixture would likely be a missile launcher.

M. Or, for an additional tonne, a CoCoMisTer.

N. I've never been too sure how they managed to place two torpedo tubes, replacing the wonton turret on the Harrier.

O. Or, if they were launchers, I forget.

P. 'Cos then, you could reload them from the inside.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

Q. Optionally, they could be tasked in the close escort role.

R. With three turrets, you have three opportunities to shoot down vampires.

S. You could consider the ordnance launchers as depth charges, for opportunistic commerce raiders.

T. Depths of space.

U. And that would be before we add Fusion Gun, Man Portable, Fourteen.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

V. Because the Raptor is a set of three pods, it becomes (externally) modular.

W. The interstellar pod could have a Venture drive installed, instead of a Raptor jump drive module.

X. Range drops to one parsec, but could have an organic fuel tank.

Y. The fuel pod could then be replaced by a dedicated cargo pod.

Z. The balance of fifteen tonnes could be an additional fifteen tonne external cargo cage.

 

[Condottiere]

Tonnage TL - Range - Model

3'150 - 14 - 5 - Beijing b/ei
3'150 - 14 - 4 - Prometheus a/rs
3'150 - 12 - 3 - Victory b/ei
0'315 - 14 - 5 - Dingir b/ei
0'315 - 12 - 3 - Texas b/ei
0'035 - 15 - 6 - Quicksilver b/ei
0'035 - 14 - 5 - Courier b/ei
0'035 - 13 - 4 - Marathon b/ei
0'035 - 12 - 3 - Striker b/ei
0'035 - 11 - 2 - Dassault b/ei
0'012.875 - 12 - 3 Raptor b/ei
0'010.3 - 12 - 3 - Extrication b/ei o/s
0'010 - 11 - 2 - Scout b/ei
0'010 - 11 - 2 - Salvation b/is o/s
0'010 - 09 - 1 - Venture b/is

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

1. We don't really know what's the smallest legal manoeuvre drive for a spacecraft.

2. Presumably, factor/one would be fifty kilogrammes for five thrust tonnes, default, at technological level nine.

3. Then, factor zero would be for a five tonne satellite, at twenty five kilogrammes, default, at technological level nine.

4. We don't need minimum one tonne modules for engineering, as a minimum, since that horse has long since bolted from the stable.

5. However, it's easier to assign one tonne manoeuvre drive modules to the Raptor class.

6. Could be due to lazy mathematics, or I find it amusing to divide it by thirty five tonnes.

7. You could manufacture one at technological level ten, capped at factor three.

8. That gives you 2.85714285714286 gees.

9. And at one hundred five tonnes, 0.95238095238095 gees.

 

[Condottiere]

Tonnage TL - Thrust - Model

0'001 - 15 - 9 - Rapture
0'001 - 14 - 8 - Rapture
0'001 - 13 - 7 - Rapture
0'001 - 12 - 6 - Rapture
0'001 - 11 - 5 - Rapture
0'001 - 10 - 3 - Rapture
0'001 - 09 - 1 - Venture
0'000.05 - 09 - 1 - Pod

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

A. Engineering, for the Confederation Navy, would be in four categories.

B. Legacy, from the Interstellar War(s) era.

C. From the Sylean Empire, during it's expansionary phase.

D. During the Confederation Navy nascent phase.

E. Self developed from technological level thirteen and onwards.

F. Self developed tends to depart drastically from previous phases.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

G. Did we have modular cutters before technological level twelve?

H. There's no minimum technological level for modulation.

I. Three quarters of thirty five is twenty six and a quarter tonnes.

J. Certainly falls short of Sylean Empire standard thirty tonnes.

K. Though, is this the most utilitarian size?