Major B
SOC-14 1K
I’m puzzled by the passage in the RM Design Evaluation section governing Grav vehicle speeds (page 86).
The vehicle’s top vacuum speed is calculated from the maneuver thrust, then standard atmosphere speed is calculated from that.
For an airframe vehicle, the top standard speed is .9 multiplied by the vacuum speed.
But, for a streamlined vehicle, the top standard speed is 1000 kph. This is where I’m confused.
If my vehicle has a top vacuum speed of 300 kph, its standard atmosphere top speed can’t be 1000 kph.
I think it makes sense for 1000 kph to be the maximum possible speed, but not the only possible speed.
For streamlined vehicles, is .75 multiplied by the vacuum speed a reasonable figure? If the result exceeds 1000 kph, then 1000 kph should be listed.
The same problem applies to unstreamlined vehicles – their top standard atmosphere speed is 300 kph, but a vehicle with a top vacuum speed of 300 kph should not be able to reach the same speed in a standard atmosphere. Again, 300 should be the maximum possible speed, not the only possible speed.
For unstreamlined vehicles perhaps .67 multiplied by the vacuum speed. If this result exceeds 300 kph, then 300 kph should be listed.
Current errata doesn’t cover this one, so I’d like to draft an errata submission for this, but first any thoughts or discussion?
I’m just guessing at the numbers here, which is good enough for a house rule, but I’d like someone with a better grounding in real science to chime in before I submit an errata recommendation.
The vehicle’s top vacuum speed is calculated from the maneuver thrust, then standard atmosphere speed is calculated from that.
For an airframe vehicle, the top standard speed is .9 multiplied by the vacuum speed.
But, for a streamlined vehicle, the top standard speed is 1000 kph. This is where I’m confused.
If my vehicle has a top vacuum speed of 300 kph, its standard atmosphere top speed can’t be 1000 kph.
I think it makes sense for 1000 kph to be the maximum possible speed, but not the only possible speed.
For streamlined vehicles, is .75 multiplied by the vacuum speed a reasonable figure? If the result exceeds 1000 kph, then 1000 kph should be listed.
The same problem applies to unstreamlined vehicles – their top standard atmosphere speed is 300 kph, but a vehicle with a top vacuum speed of 300 kph should not be able to reach the same speed in a standard atmosphere. Again, 300 should be the maximum possible speed, not the only possible speed.
For unstreamlined vehicles perhaps .67 multiplied by the vacuum speed. If this result exceeds 300 kph, then 300 kph should be listed.
Current errata doesn’t cover this one, so I’d like to draft an errata submission for this, but first any thoughts or discussion?
I’m just guessing at the numbers here, which is good enough for a house rule, but I’d like someone with a better grounding in real science to chime in before I submit an errata recommendation.
