Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Raptor Class Utility Vehicle

V. In theory, one hundred eight square metres divided by seven tenths square metres is a tad above one hundred fifty four and a quarter.

W. One assumes that that quarter would be toddler.

X. Intra atmospheric routes could handle a hundred passengers, plus two flight attendants, and two lavatories.

Y. Hundred passengers fits within the regional (aero)spaceliner definition.

Z. Though, likely, point to point.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

1. I'm pretty fond of the Old Stringbag.

2. The question would be, what form it would take in the Confederation Navy?

3. Obviously, introduction would likely be in it's infancy.

4. How literal would be it's transposition, considering part of it's charm is the obsolescence of it's design.

5. Perhaps, focus on what it can do.

6. And, what it did do.

7. Cripple the Bismarck.

8. Surprise the Italians.

9. And sink more shipping than any other Allied aircraft.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

A. First, any advantages to having an open cockpit?

B. I guess, you could have the crew in spacesuits, ... and the wind in your hair.

C. The windscreen is likely to prevent that.

D. Though, should protect against micrometeorites.

E. Shouldn't really be an issue with a triple cockpit.

F. Should be cheaper than a bridge.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

G. A triple cockpit would be three and a half tonnes.

H. Cost would be twenty kilostarbux.

I. That would be an extra tonne, plus workstation, plus an extra twenty four hours of oxygen, at an additional five kilostarbux.

J. Hull size still capped at fifty tonnes.

K. And, presumably, you have three sets of controls.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

L. It's a naval torpedo/spotter/reconnaissance (space)craft.

M. Torpedo aspect is obvious.

N. Naval aspect implies it's not bought by other military branches.

O. Reconnaissance being a sensor extension of the host vessel.

P. Spotter seems a little harder to clarify, though I'm going for forward observer for long range gunnery.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

Q. Next up is size.

R. It's not in the Flying Fortress category.

S. So, safely in the smallcraft section.

T. Seventy tonnes would allow three firmpoints.

U. But, you'd need a default six tonne bridge.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

V. At seventy tonnes, you could exchange three firmpoints for a firmpointed torpedo barbette.

W. Torpedo barbetttes on Firmpoints consume an additional two tons of space.

X. I guess I wasn't looking when they dropped firmpointed ordnance castration.

Y. Essentially, this becomes a torpedo boat, with an hour's worth of ammunition.

Z. And a crew of two.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

1. It's an interesting question, when the Confederation Navy introduced the CoCoMisTer.

2. Probably post bellum, rather than ante.

3. And the Swordfish supposed would be very ante.

4. Doesn't mean that it could get refitted with one or more.

5. Problem is, that antebellum, the only way to load torpedoes on a smallcraft would be firmpointed torpedo grapples.

6. Which means, we could easily drop tonnage to thirty five tonnes, to take advantage of two firmpoints, and thus, four torpedoes.

7. Four torpedoes over thirty five tonnes is a rather poor use of that volume.

8. Unless, as it's mentioned somewhere, the Solomani use civilian smallcraft, and attach the torpedo grapples to them.

9. Like, popping out the passenger module from a Raptor class utility vehicle, and replacing it with a weapons module.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

A. That would be more of an ad hoc arrangement.

B. If you don't mind the extra cost, they could easily emplace CoCoMisTer(s).

C. That means that you can internal self reloading magazines.

D. Whereas with torpedo grapples, you need to reload externally.

E. Which usually requires a return to base.

F. And unless used as an ad hoc gunship, thirty five tonnes seems a little wasteful.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

G. We don't really need a gunnery officer, rear or otherwise, if the Swordfish only carries torpedoes.

H. Or, missiles.

I. I doubt we need a radio operator.

J. Navigation in open space should be fairly simple, especially if operational range is relatively short.

K. So, we have a pilot, that can point the spacecraft in the correct direction, and release the torpedo(es).

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

L. Then we have the observer.

M. At this technological level, hard to do much observing without an extensive sensor suite.

N. We could assign an early warning and control spacecraft for that.

O. Starting to look a lot more like the Westland Wyvern.

P. So, may need a course correction.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

Q. We're going to need a factor one manoeuvre drive.

R. For that low stall speed, and easy take off and landing.

S. We could go for a cheap cutrate discounted technological level nine variant.

T. Or a super efficient technological level twelve model.

U. Difference in cost would be two hundred percent.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

V. Do we need a one tonne fuel tank?

W. Apparently, not.

X. This is not an issue after a certain hull volume is reached.

Y. Becomes rather important at the low end, if you don't use reactionary rockets.

Z. Though, with the biplane aspect, we could transform that into hybrid propulsion.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

1. You can easily default to a factor/one manoeuvre drive, for really slow cruising and atmospheric reentry.

2. At technological level nine, we can budget it, which shaves off twenty five percent from retail.

3. Which gives us a choice between a hundred diameters, increased size, and one hundred thirty percent inefficiency.

4. Cruising would count out a hundred diameters.

5. Inefficiency would be where energy output isn't an issue.

6. Increased size would be where volume doesn't matter that much.

7. Inefficiency in something you use all the time seems counter productive.

8. Hundred diameters, or even orbital, are for those interested only in atmospheric reentry, or short hops.

9. Increased size would seems the best of all worlds, cheap, default energy input, and the extra space, especially in smallcraft, somewhat insignificant.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

A. If we give it the Marie Kondo treatment, all we need is that spark of joy.

B. Basically, when the torpedo warhead sparks.

C. Torpedo grapples, and attached torpedoes, are virtual.

D. And, apparently, self guided.

E. Essentially, they take up no tonnage, and don't need a gunner, separate or otherwise.

F. What we are left with, are, accommodations and engineering.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

G. We can continue to screw with the spacecraft design sequence.

H. Advanced variants of the technological level six prefusion reactor are kinda pointless.

I. At the lower end, cost per power point tends to be rather consistent.

J. A highly technologized prefusion reactor would cost three sixths of megastarbux per tonne.

K. And generate 19.04761904761905 power points per megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

L. Compare this to default early fusion reactor at technological level eight.

M. Twenty power points per megastarbux.

N. And a semimegastarbux per tonne.

O. High technologized model would generate 14.28571428571429 power points per tonne.

P. And 19.04761904761905 power points per megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

Q. Default standard fusion reactor at technological level twelve costs one megastarbux per tonne.

R. Generates fifteen power points for that megastarbux.

S. You could build a budget model with increased size, generating twelve power points per tonne.

T. That would be sixteen power points per megastarbux.

U. Which you could compare to an early fusion budget variant at 21.33333333333333 power points per megastarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

V. This would be incomplete without the chemical power plant.

W. Technological level seven, default power generation per tonne remains the same, as well as cost.

X. The one advantage, unstated, is that it can be maintained and operated by mechanics, not nuclear engineers.

Y. Budget variant would be minimum a quarter tonne, at forty six and seven eighths kilostarbux.

Z. Fuel consumption 0.1785714285714286 tonnes per day, or 3.57142857142857 percent.

 

[Condottiere]

Starwarships: Swordfish Class Torpedo Bomber

1. It's pretty obvious, we're slaloming towards five tonnes.

2. It's more of a question, if I can fit these concepts into a compact form.

3. First, you have to establish the minimums.

4. In terms of energy consumption, default basic systems is one power point per five tonnes.

5. Half of that still allows you have a directional floor, if you have a gravitated hull.

6. And if you don't, that's half a power point per five tonnes.

7. And, you can half that, and we'll assume you're still interfaced with the hull and it's components.

8. And have regenerated oxygen.

9. Such as can be experienced, in a cockpitted twenty four hour window.