Craft Hangars

[sabredog]

I have always gone with the 130% rule because the Broadsword method seems unnecessarily unwieldy and time-consuming to me for a large ship (like a warship carrying modular cutters, for example). For something the size of the Broadsword then it's fine because space is at more of a premium.

Besides, on a warship type that would be carrying a lot of modules, the extra space for shuttling them around, loading - off loading cargo and vehicles, et., makes more sense. A ground assault type ship could have a couple dozen cutters with several modules for each to quickly shuttle down troops, vehicles, medivac back up casualties on the return trip.... They'd be on big overhead racks, maybe, and handled like shipping containers (no, no, no...will not bring up Thunderbird Two no matter how cool it is...must resist) prior to loading onto the cutters. Vehicles could come up on lifts form the lower deck to drive up into a vehicle module and then the module slides under, and lifted up to lock onto the cutter. Troop modules could be preloaded with the troops and lined up awaiting the next cutter in the rotation.

In such a case having the extra space dedicated to the turnaround times for loading and unloading modules, while getting the next one in the schedule hooked up and away in a cutter is necessary.

I was just wondering if anyone else thought otherwise.

 

[dean]

As I recall the cutters on the Broadsword classes were cylindrical in shape.

Given adequate volume surrounding such a design, they could be docked in tube-like docking ports, with an equivalent tonnage space on three or four sides of the docking tube which could accomodate the necessary modules. Snub rollers would project out of the sides of the bay at the front and rear of the craft and rotate the craft itself to align the craft's module bay to the desired module, load it in, and ready the ship and module for launch.

If the modules were stored in the forward spaces of the cutter, I'd estimate maybe 40% of the cutter could extend out of the hull proper (although of course the volume of the vessel would still have to count into the Ship's volume for jump and maneuver purposes.

Heck, after typing that last thought, it occurs to me that any small craft can be docked completely outside the Ship's hull, just so long as it's counted into the volume for purposes of jump and maneuver... And still comply with the 100% of volume rule.

 

[sabredog]

Heck, after typing that last thought, it occurs to me that any small craft can be docked completely outside the Ship's hull, just so long as it's counted into the volume for purposes of jump and maneuver... And still comply with the 100% of volume rule.

In AHL the docking bays are set up to accept the cylindrical small craft that then have their aft ends outside the ship. I always thought that was why most of the small craft in pictures were cylinders - makes docking and storage easier.

I still like most of mine to be lifting bodies, but that's just esthetics, really. So IMTU the modular cutter is a lifting body frame with the center cylindrical section flattened on the bottom. Suspiciously like a little Thunderbird 2. Which might be some subconscious effect of it having been my favorite of the Thunderbirds.

It also means that IMTU old discarded cutter modules end up stacked in the cheaper residential areas near starports and used as housing. They make dandy instant colony housing, too, since the flattened bottom makes for a large floor space.

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning Sabredog,

Sorry not to be on the thought otherwise side. There are only so many ways, and still keep the design system simple and quick to use, to store items like craft and cutter modules in the same area. My only difference is the standard 130% which I only apply to hulls > 1,000 tons carrying small craft and/or cutter modules to get the minimum size required.

When possible I increase the hangar space above the 100% or 130% the rules require for small craft. I've also added a maintenance bay and storage bays using the cargo hold rules adjacent to the hangar.

I've been tinkering with methods for adjusting the hangar size, so far I haven't got any of them working to my satisfaction.

I have always gone with the 130% rule because the Broadsword method seems unnecessarily unwieldy and time-consuming to me for a large ship (like a warship carrying modular cutters, for example). For something the size of the Broadsword then it's fine because space is at more of a premium.

Besides, on a warship type that would be carrying a lot of modules, the extra space for shuttling them around, loading - off loading cargo and vehicles, et., makes more sense. A ground assault type ship could have a couple dozen cutters with several modules for each to quickly shuttle down troops, vehicles, medivac back up casualties on the return trip.... They'd be on big overhead racks, maybe, and handled like shipping containers (no, no, no...will not bring up Thunderbird Two no matter how cool it is...must resist) prior to loading onto the cutters. Vehicles could come up on lifts form the lower deck to drive up into a vehicle module and then the module slides under, and lifted up to lock onto the cutter. Troop modules could be preloaded with the troops and lined up awaiting the next cutter in the rotation.

In such a case having the extra space dedicated to the turnaround times for loading and unloading modules, while getting the next one in the schedule hooked up and away in a cutter is necessary.

I was just wondering if anyone else thought otherwise.

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning Dean,

As I recall the cutters on the Broadsword classes were cylindrical in shape.

Yes, the 50-ton modular cutters employed by the Broadsword-class are cylinder shaped.

Given adequate volume surrounding such a design, they could be docked in tube-like docking ports, with an equivalent tonnage space on three or four sides of the docking tube which could accommodate the necessary modules. Snub rollers would project out of the sides of the bay at the front and rear of the craft and rotate the craft itself to align the craft's module bay to the desired module, load it in, and ready the ship and module for launch.

If the modules were stored in the forward spaces of the cutter, I'd estimate maybe 40% of the cutter could extend out of the hull proper (although of course the volume of the vessel would still have to count into the Ship's volume for jump and maneuver purposes.

Heck, after typing that last thought, it occurs to me that any small craft can be docked completely outside the Ship's hull, just so long as it's counted into the volume for purposes of jump and maneuver... And still comply with the 100% of volume rule.

The Gazelle-class docks the gig pretty much completely exposed on the hull. The only area not completely exposed is the side that mates with the Gazelle's lower hull at least that is what I got from the illustration.

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning Sabredog,

I don't recall the AHL as docking any craft with exposed hulls, now the Mecenary Cuiser illustrated in Fighting Ships on page 20 and Adventure 7 Broadsword page 20 appears to agree that a portion of the aft hull is outside the hanger.

In AHL the docking bays are set up to accept the cylindrical small craft that then have their aft ends outside the ship. I always thought that was why most of the small craft in pictures were cylinders - makes docking and storage easier.

I still like most of mine to be lifting bodies, but that's just esthetics, really. So IMTU the modular cutter is a lifting body frame with the center cylindrical section flattened on the bottom. Suspiciously like a little Thunderbird 2. Which might be some subconscious effect of it having been my favorite of the Thunderbirds.

It also means that IMTU old discarded cutter modules end up stacked in the cheaper residential areas near starports and used as housing. They make dandy instant colony housing, too, since the flattened bottom makes for a large floor space.

 

[aramis]

Morning Sabredog,

I don't recall the AHL as docking any craft with exposed hulls, now the Mecenary Cuiser illustrated in Fighting Ships on page 20 and Adventure 7 Broadsword page 20 appears to agree that a portion of the aft hull is outside the hanger.

It does - it's refueling shuttles dock in external cradles. See Supplement 5.

 

[snrdg082102]

It does - it's refueling shuttles dock in external cradles. See Supplement 5.

Thanks Aramis,

As usual I couldn't find the right book without help and I stand corrected the AHL does dock a big craft externally. Bad book