Lab Ships

[Homer Woody]

Recently one of our players roled up an Acadenic. During his mustering out he recieved a Lab Ship. Can anybody help out and tell me where i can find some deck plans for Lab Ships?

 

[far-trader]

Got one right here...

CT Type L 400T Lab Ship

While it is the Classic wheel and spoke I think the general design specs should come close to the T20 version if that's what you need. I can't vouch for the accuracy of it but it looks close to the MT version by Seeker GS.

The part in the middle with the lable "Fuel" is a cutaway of the through deck view.

The chairs in the small bump outs opposite the drives are the two turrets. The bump outs are two decks high and mirrored (half the power plant, thruster and jump drive in each)

The spoke to the Pinnace docking collar is accessed in the "Recept"(ion) area, through either the elevator or the emergency ladder tube.

 

[marginaleye]

Does anyone else think that the canonical lab ship is a very strange design? Is there any conceivable reason to be building this sort of ship, in a universe which has had reliable artifical gravity generators for literally thousands and thousands of years? If memory serves, there's also a lab ship based on the ever-present Type-R subsidized merchant hull (in one of the Double Adventures). That makes a lot more sense than the spinning-wheel kludge.

 

[savage]

Well as I recall the reason would be the ability to spin it and create fractional gravity. But there were never any rules on how much power the gravitics requires so the saving is purely up to the ref.

A research vessel should be able to stay for a long time in various environments.

Savage

 

[far-trader]

I seem to recall the description somewhere mentioning the spin gravity being used when artificial gravity would interfere with the research. Either because of the nature of "gravitons" or the power/energy field inherent in the production of it.

 

[Shadow Bear]

Originally posted by Arir:
Recently one of our players roled up an Acadenic. During his mustering out he recieved a Lab Ship. Can anybody help out and tell me where i can find some deck plans for Lab Ships?

Fasa Adventure Class Ships Vol.II has a vessel called the Explorer class that is listed as a survey cruiser. It could easily be converted into a lab ship. It has many passenger rooms and onthe lower deck there are labs, offices, operating rooms, specimen stroage and a good size cargo area. It is fairly large at 800 dtons and the TL is 14.

Almost any merchantman or liner could be converted to a lab ship. Use the cargo area or passenger rooms to make the labs.

Scout vessels are also good conversion material.

Just think navy surplus and almost anything could be converted into a lab ship. Sections of the High Lightning could be pieced together to make a lab ship.

Fast G drives are not essential nor would high jump drives be required. Auxillary vessels (air rafts, shuttles, cutter, life boats, grav vehicles and ATVs) are desireable.

 

[Elliot]

I think the artificial grav thing was an after the event justification - the lab ship looks cool but I cant see how building a big fan is going to make much difference - perhaps its to disorientate scientists from the usual sad geek activities they get up to (like roleplaying!)

 

[Ranger]

Another nice deck plan for the 'classic' design:

http://www.perkworks.com/traveller/Labship.html

 

[Pwyll]

lab ship alternative

glad im not the only one who feels that the canon lab ship is ridiculous.

i imagine you've already solved your problem, but, here it is anyway

one could easily modify free trader deck plans to fit this design for a small lab ship:

200 ton Jump-1 11 months Streamlined
Laboratory Ship
MCr 36.54
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 engineer, 1 medic
Drives: jdrive-A, mdrive-A, pplant-A. 1 parsec jump range, 1g manuever
Bridge: model/1 computer, 2 hardpoints, no turrets
Fuel: 50 tons (2 jumps and 28 days endurance)
12 staterooms
9 lab staff, 2 air-raft, 50 ton laboratory, 6 tons cargo
double occupancy allows up to 21 lab staff