Survey Rider:
100 Ton hull
Fast M Drive - No J Drive
6 weeks fuel / provisions
Riders also act as fuel tenders for the carrier
Large amount of various sensors / computers
One turret - triple LMS
Crew:4 Dual roles - all should be able to operate sensors: Pilot, Engineer, Gunner, Mission Specialist.
Double tonnage for state rooms - allows for extra recreation space as crew is on an extended mission. Crew accomodation is also used when rider is docked to carrier (carrier only has (extra) common space and quarters for the carrier crew). Can be customised by crew - "Have you seen what they've done on E-19? - They're sleeping in hammocks in the drive space, and have converted the state rooms into a quadraball court!" (Ties crew to a ship?)
Survey Carrier:
Can carry 4 riders.
J-Drive capaable of J1 if fully loaded, 4 if empty. M-Drive 1 (Riders chase the carrier)
Fuel: enough for 1 J4 + 1 J1
Crew: what's required.
Weapons: Defensive only.
Operations:
Op Week 1: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, deploys rider 1.
Op week 2: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, deploys rider 2. Rider 1 1st week of survey
Op Week 3: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, deploys rider 3. Rider 1 2nd week of survey. Rider 2 1st week of survey.
Op Week 4: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, deploys rider 4. Rider 1 3rd week of survey. Rider 2 2nd week of survey. Rider 3 1st week of survey
Op Week 5: Carrier jumps 4 parsecs, recovers rider 1. Rider 1 4th week of survey. Rider 2 3rd week of survey. Rider 3 2nd week of survey. Rider 4 1st week of survey
Op Week 6: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, recovers rider 2. Rider 2 4th week of survey. Rider 3 3rd week of survey. Rider 4 2nd week of survey
Op Week 7: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, recovers rider 3. Rider 3 4th week of survey. Rider 4 3rd week of survey.
Op Week 8: Carrier jumps 1 parsec, recovers rider 4. Rider 4 4th week of survey.
(during deploy/recovery 'home' riders perform refuelling missions)
Rinse & Repeat