Deckplans for Free Traders (other than Beowulf!)

[alveric]

Can anyone recommend any *detailed* home-grown deckplans for Type A ships (that aren't either the Beowulf-class or the Marava-class A2)?

I have been tying to make a simple flying box as my first serios attempt at Traveller deckplans, and have found even that is beyond me as soon as I start factoring in "How thick are the bulkheads?" (an awful lot of volume is lost if you start treating external bulkheads and decks as 0.3 metres with 3 metres between them, with a 0.60 metre suspended ceiling) and "Where does the landing gear stow?" and "Hmm, where does that hatch actually slide *into*?"



A.

 

[Ranger]

FASA did an alternate version that is pretty much what you describe, a flying box. The Alexandria class. It should be on the Gamelords/FASA Traveller CD.

 

[rancke]

I have been tying to make a simple flying box as my first serios attempt at Traveller deckplans, and have found even that is beyond me as soon as I start factoring in "How thick are the bulkheads?" (an awful lot of volume is lost if you start treating external bulkheads and decks as 0.3 metres with 3 metres between them, with a 0.60 metre suspended ceiling) and "Where does the landing gear stow?" and "Hmm, where does that hatch actually slide *into*?"

Is there any reason to factor in those things? I've always regarded it as part of the 10% "slop" that deckplans suffer from anyway (Though "suffer" is not really the right word).

JTAS Online has deckplans for the Tycho Brahe Class 200T Far Trader. Also deckplans for about a score of other ships ranging from 100T to 20,000T, including some 400T and 600T merchants.


Hans

 

[far-trader]

My advice, just count the squares ignoring fuel voids. The deck, wall, and bulkhead thickness are all within the tonnage squares. The other features not designated in the design sequence are within the 10-20% slop volume that can be tucked where desired, even in the fuel voids (such as landing gear). The fuel voids are just gray space to make the hull shape fit your desire and fill into the internal.

The 3m deck to deck height is an overall measure, including the deck thickness, structure, and conduits. So it's not a clear 3m height, not even on an open cargo or vehicle/craft deck though it's close to 3m clear.

Do that and you'll be close enough, and much closer than most if not all published designs to date

For extra credit, make sure when counting and laying out deck squares that each element is within its own total, meaning no "borrowing" squares from the 20ton bridge allotment to use for a big dining hall in the stateroom allotment, for example

 

[rancke]

For extra credit, make sure when counting and laying out deck squares that each element is within its own total, meaning no "borrowing" squares from the 20ton bridge allotment to use for a big dining hall in the stateroom allotment, for example

Good rule, bad example. I've yet to see any design where the bridge itself took up 40 squares[*], so I've been forced to assume that a lot of the bridge volume is dispersed throughout the ship.

[*] And remember, logically some of the bridge volume (the workstations) is counted as part of the computer.​

Hans

 

[far-trader]

I thought it was the perfect example for exactly the same reason

I rarely see a ship with 40 deck squares for the bridge (Hunter did one iirc, can't recall the publication offhand) and figure that's where a lot of borrowing goes on/comes from, and it most often seems to find it's way into the stateroom allowance. I generally don't map out the full 40 squares myself. About half of it, figuring the other half is stuff like landing gears, attitude control thrusters, docking clamps, etc.

And remember, logically some of the bridge volume (the workstations) is counted as part of the computer.

Hans

Not in my opinion, but that's an interpretive difference, and may vary by design rules set. In MTU/design the computer IS that big, well, half the volume anyway. The other half is access and dedicated programming workstation(s). For the bridge I always include 5 workstations in my layout, minimum. Taking up 5 tons of the 20 tons. Then I allow 2 tons for ship's lockers and 3 tons for airlock(s). And the other 10tons is miscellaneous off the map. Scale up for larger "bridges" on big ships.

 

[PFVA63]

Hi

I never really finished these drawings (so they probably aren't detailed enough for your needs), but here is the start of some drawings that I had put together for an alternate CT Free Trader. One thing I noticed awhile ago though, is that I think I have miss sized the Low Berth area and I need to go back and correct that over site). I also haven't shown any of the doors yet either.

In general, on the lower (Blue) deck you have some cargo forward, with the Low Berths and a stowage space amidships. This stowage space is considered part of the cargo area but is partitioned off to provide a space where the low, mid, and high passengers can stow there personal belongings and baggage.

Aft on this deck is the passenger area and the Lower Engine Room. The passenger staterooms are arranged around a central commons space that would likely include some sofa style seating, maybe a table or two, and an entertainment system.

On the next deck up (shown in Green) you have the upper cargo bay, crew's space, and upper engine room. Similar to the deck below, the crew spaces are arranged around a central commons area, but this deck also includes a small laundry (at the top of the main staircase), a Galley, a small computer server room, and access to the Bridge deck.

A rough outline of the Bridge deck (in Yellow) and a profile of the ship are shown below.

I can't remember exactly, but I think that because fo the slope of the bridge deck area, the bridge itself only occupies 12 to 15dtons, with the rest of the ship's basic control assumed to be taken up be sensors (in the fins etc).

Also most of the fuel is assumed to be stowed in a 1.5m high double bottom beneath the main deck (as kind of shown in the profile).

Two additional things to note from the profile is that the forward part of the cargo hold is assumed to be two decks high to allow for the carriage of oversized cargo, and overall the ship is kind of set up so that the passngers can be basically restricted to the lower deck (with the crew bringing the food down from the galley and fresh linens etc from the laundry).

Anyway, just thought I'd post the figures if anyone is interested.

Regards

PF

 

[far-trader]

Nice layout PF. Count it as one interested at least, thanks for posting it.

One note, the stairs down to the lower engineering from the crew deck will intrude a bit into the passenger area, as a sloped area, possibly cutting off access to the aft stateroom there. I'd suggest showing them on the lower deck to make it clear, and maybe shifting them back one square to avoid too much intrusion. Or just have access to upper engineering through the crew deck and a simple ladder and hatch in engineering between the two decks there. Otherwise it looks pretty good.

 

[BlackBat242]

It's a flying shoe!!!

 

[aramis]

I'm currently working up a HG 100Td MiniTrader as a 3m diam cyl-AF with wings. (In Sketchup.... I LOVE 3D plans!) using a thumbnail CT-Bk5 design. Right now, I'm putting in the portholes.

I think a Type A will be the next OOB.

 

[WarriorKnight]

Very nice sir.Very nice.Alway love a good Free Treder.

 

[kafka47]

An issue of Jumpspace, if memory serves me right did the Solomani Free Trader that was reproduced in PDF somewhere...

 

[rancke]

http://www.dragonspace.com/trav/longtrd.htm

http://www.dragonspace.com/trav/fartrdr1.htm

http://www.dragonspace.com/trav/fartrdr2.htm

http://www.sff.net/people/kitsune/traveller/images/manta.png


Hans

 

[alveric]

Thanks, everybody.

I guess that I just had a panic attack - we design Traveller starships stats using a scientific calculator, and then we get some pretty basic deckplans (I'm looking at you, person who did the deckplans in the Mongoose Traveller books...!).

I will publish my ship when I'm happy with it :smirk:

A.

 

[WarriorKnight]

I love The Draconis Cluster Shipyard.We've used their plans a lot in our games.We also got a game set on a Manta called the Drunken Wolf(a play off the name of my previous game the TimberWolf;The captain of the DW helped pay off the TW by setting several records for most Pan-Galactics drunk in quite a few starport bars[he had a high end.])

 

[PFVA63]

Hi

Thanks for all the friendly feedback.

It's a flying shoe!!!

To be honest, I did actually kind of model it off a tennis shoe when I first started putting it together.

Regards

PF

 

[JAFARR]

If you use HG, I would expect a universe of primarily flattened sphere designs for comercial use due to cost consideration. At least in the 1000 tn and smaller sizes. For something that doesn't enter the atmosphere, I would expect more spheres and close structure types and maybe even some dispersed structures. My designs are usually flattened spheres with circular decks and fuel tankage external to the other decks. Bird'seye view looks like a circle, side view looks like a oval with a flattened bottom. Decks may be concentric or have the trailing edges aligned giving a blunter rear. Decks may be stacked smaller on top of larger or have a smaller, larger, smaller type stack. Sorry, but I don't have any actually drawn out in a computer accessable format.

 

[RandyT0001]

Sorry, it's not a free trader but after JAFARR mentioned his 1000 dton ships I had to provide a link to mine.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35287893@N00/sets/72157594435611397/


Aba-adakkur
The Aba-adakkur is a main-route passenger / cargo liner in Imperium wide service of the Naasirka megacorporation. The ship is built from a streamlined flattened sphere hull which displaces 1000 tons. The ship is 15.25m tall and has a diameter of 48.4m. High performance LSP jump drives (V series) and maneuver drives (E series) provide the ship with it's motive plants. A Sternmetal Horizons, LIC power plant (V series) supplies the ship with the necessary power. With this combination the ship can achieve a four parsec jump and maneuver at 1G acceleration. Internal fuel tankage of 440 tons supports the power plant for twenty-eight days and provides enough fuel for one jump-4. A Naasirka computer (Model 4) is installed. The ship has five hardpoints and five tons have been set aside for fire control. Two triple turrets are installed, each carrying a heterogeneous mix of one beam laser, one missile rack, and one sandcaster. Fifty-one staterooms are installed. The ship has 132 tons for cargo, of which up to 32 tons can be used by the high passengers for extra luggage, and a centrally mounted lifeboat for emergency evacuation.

The ship requires a crew of fifteen: captain, pilot, navigator, six engineers, medic, three stewards and two gunners. Any of the ship's crew (even a passenger) can operate the lifeboat though usually the starship pilot and one steward is certified by Naasirka as a qualified ship's boat pilot. The ship can carry twenty-four high passengers and twelve middle passengers. The ship (plus lifeboat) costs MCr520.153 (including 10% discount and 1% architect's fees) and takes 30 months to build.

Use if you desire.

 

[WarriorKnight]

Thanks for all the friendly feedback.



To be honest, I did actually kind of model it off a tennis shoe when I first started putting it together.

Regards

PF

Heck I've done ships based off weird stuff (like tv remotes & the flash unit for my camera[well when you set off the flash it looks like a ship hitting its main thrusters ; ) ])all the time.