Getting out of the well is defiantly a problem. In orbit power can be solved via solar boilers and the ship would look like one of those WWI deathtraps they called submarines. It would take a thruster plate technology to lift the vehicle. Perhaps some alien tech falls to the planet a genius deciphers how it woks and is able to build a “one shot” plate that can cancel out 98% of its weight. At that point perhaps a few massive TL-4 SRBs could lift the vessel into orbit.
Low tech Vacc Suits
- Thread starter parmasson
- Start date
I seem to recall some kind of super-cannon saddam hussein was considering building. something like twenty miles long, where the round was propelled not by a single charge but multiple charges placed along the length of the barrel to allow it to gradually build up speed. supposed to be able to hit israel from iraq. if you combined this with a size 5 or 4 world with a thin atmosphere perhaps you could shoot shells into orbit without killing occupants. be one tremendous ride though. anyone know enough physics to calc this out?
You would have to get up to 40,000 kph to blast off of the ground.
A rocket sled in the 1950 made it up to 1000 kph in five seconds. At that rate it would take hours to get up to speed (scratches head).
[Edit] Oops you said a small world, my bad. Perhaps some kind of catapult with rocket assist?
A rocket sled in the 1950 made it up to 1000 kph in five seconds. At that rate it would take hours to get up to speed (scratches head).
[Edit] Oops you said a small world, my bad. Perhaps some kind of catapult with rocket assist?
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I seem to recall that Verne had a shock absorption rig built into his "space bullet". But, it would still be an unsurvivable kick.
What if it were suspended from balloons before being fired, though? At, say, 30,000 feet?
And, Parmasson, if it reached 1000kph in 5 seconds, it would take about 3.5 minutes to reach 40,000....
What if it were suspended from balloons before being fired, though? At, say, 30,000 feet?
And, Parmasson, if it reached 1000kph in 5 seconds, it would take about 3.5 minutes to reach 40,000....
How about a beanstalk that the Ancients left behind for some reason? The technology is so advanced that the locals can’t figure it out beyond how to make it work. I can see huge coal fired boilers working giant electric dynamos to supply the power fed by a vast railroad network and steamship routes.
Actually, I was thinking about a wrecked ISS vehicle that has had its jump drive salvaged. THe natives also managed to get enough of a manual translated that they've figured out that it needs to be charged and that the drive should be activated at altitude.
So, now we've got a fully charged jump drive with a crew module attached, hanging below a large zepplin-like structure, possibly tethered to the ground, connected to a windmil or waterwheel driven electrical generator and a unprecedented level of Victorian arrogance.
Why does this sound like a recipe for disaster?
So, now we've got a fully charged jump drive with a crew module attached, hanging below a large zepplin-like structure, possibly tethered to the ground, connected to a windmil or waterwheel driven electrical generator and a unprecedented level of Victorian arrogance.
Why does this sound like a recipe for disaster?
Thats about the size of it.
Actually, if we assume it to be the drive from a survey scout (Donosov class), Just how bad would the misjump be?
They're within .01 diameters. Its a drive meant for moving a 400+ ton vessel across interstellar space and its capacitors are fully charged by a crude electrical generator.
Something 'interesting' is going to happen one way or another. If they're REAL lucky, they might get to see another star system. On the other hand...
So just how big is the crater going to be?
Actually, if we assume it to be the drive from a survey scout (Donosov class), Just how bad would the misjump be?
They're within .01 diameters. Its a drive meant for moving a 400+ ton vessel across interstellar space and its capacitors are fully charged by a crude electrical generator.
Something 'interesting' is going to happen one way or another. If they're REAL lucky, they might get to see another star system. On the other hand...
So just how big is the crater going to be?
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
"They're within .01 diameters."
That would put them rather a long way underground...
Safety interlocks would probably stop the drive from working within 10d. But that would spoil the fun...
That would put them rather a long way underground...
Safety interlocks would probably stop the drive from working within 10d. But that would spoil the fun...
I'm an idiot. I meant to say something along the lines of .01 diameters of the surface.
Wait. One radius puts it at the surface, 1 diameter puts it one radii above the surface.
To make matters worse, I was talking about planetary and solar diameters with regards to Bode's law and the Roche Limit today in class.
Luckily, I don't think any of my students read this, so my secret is safe.
As for those pesky saftey interlocks, just ask SG1 about that:
Asgard: You couldn't possibly have done that. There are saftey interlocks built into the system.
SG1: We kinda disabled them.
Asgard: Why?
SG1: Because we couldn't get it to do what we wanted it to do when the saftey interlocks were there; so we got rid of them.
Asgard: So now there are planets about to explode?
SG1: Yes.
Asgard: And you want our help in fixing the problem?
SG!: Yes.
Asgard: No.
[Feel free to substitute the word 'Grandfather' or 'High Council of Ancients' for the word Asgard at any time.] And please bear in mind that the Victorian-era arrogance is still in full force.
Hmmm, I wonder what would happen if the Jump drive were tested at a 'Secret Research Facility' deep under ground.
Wait. One radius puts it at the surface, 1 diameter puts it one radii above the surface.
To make matters worse, I was talking about planetary and solar diameters with regards to Bode's law and the Roche Limit today in class.
Luckily, I don't think any of my students read this, so my secret is safe.
As for those pesky saftey interlocks, just ask SG1 about that:
Asgard: You couldn't possibly have done that. There are saftey interlocks built into the system.
SG1: We kinda disabled them.
Asgard: Why?
SG1: Because we couldn't get it to do what we wanted it to do when the saftey interlocks were there; so we got rid of them.
Asgard: So now there are planets about to explode?
SG1: Yes.
Asgard: And you want our help in fixing the problem?
SG!: Yes.
Asgard: No.
[Feel free to substitute the word 'Grandfather' or 'High Council of Ancients' for the word Asgard at any time.] And please bear in mind that the Victorian-era arrogance is still in full force.
Hmmm, I wonder what would happen if the Jump drive were tested at a 'Secret Research Facility' deep under ground.
THHeinrichT1@aol.com
SOC-9
Indeed,
much could be done on low Tech-Levels.
Look at the Conceptuals of Da Vinci. Flight, Diving and even more modern Day Pasttimes could have been acquired at a moderate Tech Level of 2... It is truly astounding, what people could accomplish if it wasn't for the inherit conservative makeup.
The Diving Suit of Da Vinci was testet an it worked, even the System of the breathing apparatus was pure genius at work. The Glider of da Vinci also was a pure Hit, as was the parachute. Da Vinci made it clear, that he didn't wan't to see his inventions misused, so he encryptet those concepts and build in errors which could have been fatal to the unenlightend.
With best regards
Torsten
THHeinrichT1@aol.com
SOC-9
*Big Mean Grin*
Thats the way it happens if those big hairless apes are around
...Who used bananas to get them from the tree anyhow. Ridiculus isn't it.
Someone builds in safety measures and a dumb-ass user comes along and turns it off. *Blam* Of it goes... hmmm, wasn't there a mention in H.P. Lovecrafts lifework about ghouls... better next time use them as Top-Dog sentient...
... None the less, I think the Technology-Tree in Traveller isn't very sophisticated. A civilisation could have a Techlevel of F+++ and still be unsophisticated, because they are only scraping at the edge of that Technology, only using the most obvious spoils, but never look deeper into the mater.
What should I say, Humanlike.
...Regards... not regrets
Torsten
