"Old" Solomani Ships?

[AlHazred]

Man, I wish there was some way to search the wiki for starships using criteria, like, say, "TL-12" and "300 tons". The wiki always needs work, but still.

Doubtful.

[SNIP]

I personally would consider the J2+2 "option" to be the most likely one, since such a fuel fraction is the best for "raiding" without being dependent on resupply after every jump.

Sure, but this is supposed to be one of the "best [and] newest" of the ships available. Usually (not always, I'll grant) that equates to higher maneuver and/or better jump.

 

[AlHazred]

Personally, I'm now wondering if it's feasible he could have had a J3+3 ship as his command vessel. Canonically, Denisov's forces were defeated at Mertactor (Spinward Marches 1537), and then finally at Bowman (Spinward Marches 1132). The Mongoose scenario Skandersvik has additional activity in Nirton (Spinward Marches 1332). Looking at the jump map, there are some good routes for J3+3 in that vicinity, going between Bowman and Mertactor.

 

[AlHazred]

Also, I can't canonically find Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral) Denisov's first name anywhere. I'm considering calling him Dominikus Hareksson Denisov, just because it's strange enough that "Denisov" could be the common shorthand.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Personally, I'm now wondering if it's feasible he could have had a J3+3 ship as his command vessel.

HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

If you're working with a LBB5.80 paradigm, J3 is already TL=12 minimum ... which isn't "impossible" for the Sword Worlds, but you're at the limit of what they could construct. The real problem though is the "payload fraction" (effectively, the weapon systems and crew for a military ship) for anything pulling J3+3 @ TL=12.

Let's take the most "obvious" possibility and assume we're talking about a J3/6G starship @ TL=12.

• J3 = 4%
• 6G = 17%
• PP6 = 18% @ TL=12
• J3+3 Fuel = 60%
• PP Fuel = 6%
• Bridge = 2%

4+17+18+60+6+2 = 107% of hull displacement ... and I haven't even added any computer, weapons, crew, troops, etc. into the spreadsheet yet.

There's a reason why "most" fleets top out at a 4 parsec range for mobility.
It's just TOO EXPENSIVE in terms of "working fraction" in a military oriented starship design to reach for 5 parsecs of range in jump fuel.

J4 or J2+2 ... that's doable in a military combatant.
J6 or J3+3 ... that's basically a fleet courier and it will have trouble fitting weapons+crew inside the hull.

 

[Rupert]

I consider J3 the most likely - it's the best you can do at TL12, and a clear advantage over J2 and often over J2+2 (and at TL12 that extra 10% fuel for J2+2 is expensive in terms of payload). J2+2 would need to be used as J2+1 or J2+2 a lot to get around, as he was active as a pirate for a while before being caught, and plain J2 is fairly easy to catch in that volume of space due to the way the 'fuel-less' systems are laid out - plain J2 just isn't flexible enough. I think J2+2 (or J2+1) is too slow as well. TL-12 J3 just seems more likely to me for the 'newest and best' SW ships of that time.