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Shipright's Fighting Ships, Sensors and Weapons
Shipright:
Hey gents. I have been drawing up ships and systems for a couple years now. I am going to start sharing them with my current play through. These concepts come from many different games but I have a roughly consistent play style that yields similar designs more often than not. Eventually I'd like to string all of this together into a narrative history but for now I will start posting as I play.
So below is the Conveyor-class in system cargo transport. This is the first successful commercial cargo vessel capable of regular manned missions produced and the three versions of this class served as the backbone of the colonial support missions that maintained Mars, Europa and her sisters and Titan during their long and arduous pioneer era. This class also has an infamous place in Terran history from is use in the first Colony War, but more on that later.
Shown is the first version using the smaller standard containers used by the first Earth space elevators. It also features conventional rocket motors as opposed to the nuclear rockets of the follow on types. Three large solar arrays are present to provide electrical power. Solar power was abandoned on later versions due to limited utility beyond the orbit of Jupiter and the arrays were replaced with expanded radiators in future hulls, the conventional solar powered vessels being relegated to resource runs to the automated mines of Mercury and Venus as well as service to Ceres when its mines came online. It was the first non experimental vessel to feature simulated gravity, slightly predating the contemporary Prospector-class geological survey vessels.
Conveyor vessels were built and operated extensively by both the Earth Confederation (via CASA) and multiple commercial shipping outfits. They were retired from government service shortly after the formation of the Terran Confederation in favor of the more capable Star-class freighters though they remained active in limited civilian service from many more decades. Most were converted to unmanned automated bulk resource runners before their final deactivation.
This is the conventional rocket version, so the forward module in the engine assemply is the rocket fuel, the after module is the rocket itself. The fuel module would be swapped out for a full one for the return (or further should that be the case) journey. This conventional version rarely traveled further out than Mars which had fuel production facilities on Phobos to recycle modules. These were not particularly fast, I don't remember the game speed off the top of my head but it was a long journey to get to Mars assuming favorable orbital positions.
Shipright:
Mk3 Mod 1 GMLS
(Scale = x2)
The Mk 3 Mod 1 GMLS. The launcher is designed to shoot any size 4 standard configuration missile. It consists of a magnetic rail launcher fed from a double carousel magazine encased in an armored drum. The magazine can hold twenty four missiles but typically the outer pass through bay is left empty to allow access to the inner carousel. Warshots are usually carried on the outer carousel while specialty ordinance (atmospheric probes, sensor buoys, communications relays, etc.) on the inner though any combination can be loaded. The launcher acts as a low power rail gun to eject ordinance via a missile sled which sloughs off after launch. This allows the missiles to achieve a greater intercept velocity without the need to carry extra fuel.
Loading is accomplished via a external hull door adjacent to the launcher as well as a door through the armored drum. Missiles are placed in a protective magazine box that is couched inside the carousel bays to prevent catastrophic runaway damage should issues arise with other ordnance inside the magazine. Inside the box the missile is encased in a sled that provides mating to the launcher and protects the missile's internals from the magnetic launcher mechanism.
The anti-ship missile displayed has a main interception burn stage and a secondary maneuver burn stage. Long range guidance is provided by a separate fire control not shown.
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Mk 3 Mod 3 GMLS
This is a different version of the previous launcher but modified for center fire for use by vessels with different configurations. Specifically ships that require the launcher to be installed more internally.
( Scale = x2)
The launcher works in basically the same way except the center is occupied by the magnetic rail launcher. Due to its internal location the launcher is surrounded by a dedicated armored drum to both 1.) isolate the magnetic forces from the ship during launch and 2.) contain launcher fires from exploding or hung ordinance (the previous externally mounted launcher version could more easily vent to space). The launcher is fed by a single carousel ring via a pass through hoist.
Reloading is accomplished by back feeding the missiles through the launcher. This is a somewhat more involved process than launchers with the a dedicated magazine loading door and also made underway loading from replenishment vessels prohibitively difficult though technically possible.
Displayed is a series of cutaways showing the various mechanisms of the launcher/magazine system. The launcher was typically used as the primary battery for frigate/destroyers or as a utility launcher for larger vessels. With the introduction of quad packed and lager octuple packed anti-missile missiles (AAMs) large ships generally dedicated these launchers to point defense to great effect.
MarcAFK:
The conveyor Reminds me strongly of the last bulk ore carrier I designed in KSP using roverdudes freight transport pack.
Edit: My memory is terrible, looks nothing like it apart from the shape of the containers, hell it's hydrogen nuclear thermal too.
http://i.imgur.com/nBGL9ss.png
I absolutely love the line art style schematics you're using .
Edit: as an ordinance geek I also appreciate the effort you've gone into actually considering the mechanical aspects of that launcher.
Shipright:
Thanks for the kind words. You linked ship is sort of what one of the next generation of freighter will look like, with the more powerful nuclear rockets pushing the habitat modules to the front.
Shipright:
Conveyor II - class
From the beginning the Conveyor-class was designed for Thermal Nuclear Propulsion (NTR). Orbital construction preparations for the keel and main structure of the first vessels preceded the development of the NERVA NTRs which were to be built planet side and boosted into orbit. Consequently the first six vessels were designed for NTR but built with conventional Hydrogen-Oxygen propulsion. This was considered adequate for the first phase of exploration and colonization which called for regular traffic to Mars but only limited exploration missions out to the Jovian moons. In reality NTR development fell behind and the first 13 vessels were built with conventional rocket propulsion. When the first NTR hulls were laid they were designated the "Conveyor II - class." Though eventually all but five of the Conveyor-class would be upgraded to Conveyor II standard configuration, the upgrades were long delayed as the conventional powered versions proved surprisingly economically efficient inside the Martian orbit due to easily exploitable fuel sources on Phobos. The final upgrade took place 18 years after the first built from scratch Conveyor II was christened.
The Conveyor II used a single NERVA NTR engine that roughly tripled the performance from its predecessor. The engine is mounted at the end of a service module that was integral to the hull vice outboard mounted like the three rocket motors of the previous configuration. A torus made up of reaction mass tanks is then fitted around the service module to complete the engineering section. This made mission turn around significantly easier but required a slight rearrangement of the communications setup was required to prevent masking by the torus. Spare toruses were transported to and refueled at transit hubs to facilitate long range missions. The engine configuration is bi-modal providing ample electric power. The abundant on board power and intended primary operating area between Jupiter and Saturn led to the inclusion of additional radiators in place of solar panels.
Due to the increased engine performace the overall vessel was lengthened to allow for a 25% increase in inter modal container berths. This proved crucial in establishing the first Jovian colonies and later the push to Titan.
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