Light Cruiser developement

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
February 18, 2009 - 9:13pm

So I'm embarking on the grand daddy of all deckplans, at least as far as I've gone to date. I figure at my 1.5m scale this will be the largest ship I'll be able to do on this scale (I use MS paint with a ton of pre-made details that I copy/cut/paste onto the grid maps I make).

Now for the details. We know that the KH specs state the following:

HS:12-14 HP:70 Crew:70-100
ADF:3 MR:2 DCR:100
Weapons: DC, LB, EB, PB, RB(x6), T(x4)
Defenses: RH, ES, SS, ICM(x8)

With that I'm going with a size 12 hull and four atomic B drives. This permits a LVL:4 pilot (HS:13 and up calls for a LVL:5 pilot, so I went with a slot for something a frigate/destroyer pilot can graduate to). Dimensions call for the neighborhood of 300m long by 50m diameter. My standard "four wedge" mid-section will still work, this time accomodating all four battery weapons and the ICM launchers located elsewhere. This craft will have a 3 unit cargo hold occupying the widest portion of the hull, large enough to accomodate an assault scout if the elevator shaft weren't running up the center.

The grid I used for a two-view is 8m squares, so the ship measures 276m long without drives/cannon and 48m wide without drives or batteries, falling within the basic parameters (using the +/-25% rule). Overall measurements will be 328m with cannon and drives and 80m wide with drives. I utilized the KH profile (pages 6-7 in the campaign book) and amalgated some of my frigate/destroyer design into it. Here's the two-view I whipped up last night:



First, the trivial part: if anyone has caught on to my registration numbers from the frigate and destroyer you'll notice I did homages to Star Trek and Star Wars series using the numbers 1701 on the frigate and 1138 on the destroyer respectively. Since this will be the third in a series of capital ships, I was wondering if anyone knows of some designations from other 80s sci fi flicks, like perhaps some designation number from Battlestar Galactica or something from the Buck Rogers series that I can incorporate on the cruiser.

With the trivial stuff out of the way, let's discuss what all the cruiser should have over the frigate and destroyer. Obviously it needs to have double the accomodations of a destroyer for starters, it can have up to two lifeboats and 12 escape pods, I already have a good idea where to stuff those (which will pretty much parallel the frigate/destroyer locations, and an additional eight escape pods encircling one of the other decks...most likely the vehicle bay deck).

I'll have to run more than a single elevator shaft on this one...100 crew members and well over 20 decks (my destroyer has 17 decks total) will mandate more than one.


One thought I had was adding a pair of light fighters (small anti-fighter fighters armed only with a pod laser system)...with 70-100 crew I'm running out of ideas what to staff this thing with so any leftovers could serve as a support crew to those craft. That's on the back burner though, as it really doesn't meld with the KH canon stuff. More realistic would be a HS:2-3 shuttle or two. Yep, a shuttle bay will definitely be in the mix. Perhaps the fighters can appear on the revised FE version (for those not in the know, I am in the process of revamping the canon craft by swapping out the cubic meter chewing short ranged rocket batteries for longer ranged energy weapons that take up less space...swapping out cubic meter per cubic meter. The cruiser's 6 salvo RB takes up 100 cubic meters, which could be swapped for an additional laser/electron/proton battery and still have 70+ cubic meters left over, sufficient for a pair of 10x2 meter fighter craft).

I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website
Comments:

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
February 19, 2009 - 9:27am
What is the buldge for?



Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
February 19, 2009 - 4:58pm

The aft is simply a taper, look at the top view and you'll see that the rear section is a cone that tapers off. I did the same thing with the frigate and destroyer.


The front one will be officer quarters. I took the basic shape from the KH campaign book profile there. As an aside, I'll be able to utilize that forward bulge for an additional weapon system on the type FE cruiser as I get that line going.

I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
February 20, 2009 - 7:56am
Shadow Shack wrote:
As an aside, I'll be able to utilize that forward bulge for an additional weapon system on the type FE cruiser as I get that line going.


What if the bulge rotated?
Place 2 weapons of different types (laser / rocket?). When engaged its easier to rotate the bulge than the ship allowing other weapon systems to come-to-bear on different targets or maintain their targets.

:-)

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
March 5, 2009 - 11:25am
/me likes the buldge idea.

:-)

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
March 5, 2009 - 4:58pm
I've actually incorporated tracked circumfrence battery weapons in the past. Mostly on craft tht can be expected to perform lengthy docking sessions though.

Suffice it to say, a light cruiser will have sufficient time (ten minutes) to rotate its hull and permit all guns to fire at assigned targets...they're far more of a mainstay combat vessel than a stationary craft. If it were a full on frieghter I'd probably go with the tracked weapon.
I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

Jaxon's picture
Jaxon
September 10, 2014 - 7:37am
with 70-100 crew I'm running out of ideas what to staff this thing with so any leftovers could serve as a support crew to those craft....

Well, you could have two shifts (10 hrs) or four shifts (5 hrs). That would increase the crew size. 

With 70 crewmen, on two shifts, you would need:

Officers (5)
Captain
XO
Chief Navigator
Chief Engineer
Chief Medical Officer

Enlisted (52)
Pilot: 1/1
Co-Pilot: 1/1
Navigator: 1/1
Gunner: 7/7
Defense Systems Operator: 2/2
Engineers: 4/4
Computer Tech: 2/2
Robotics Tech: 2/2
Technicians: 4/4
Medics: 2/2

That is 57 personnel. You could use the remaining 13 for marines and done.

Malcadon's picture
Malcadon
September 10, 2014 - 9:39am
Jaxon wrote:
with 70-100 crew I'm running out of ideas what to staff this thing with so any leftovers could serve as a support crew to those craft....

Well, you could have two shifts (10 hrs) or four shifts (5 hrs). That would increase the crew size. 

With 70 crewmen, on two shifts, you would need:

How about this?

Officers (5)
Captain
XO
Chief Navigator
Chief Engineer
Chief Medical Officer

Enlisted (65)
Boatswain: 1/0
Pilot: 1/1
Co-Pilot: 1/1
Navigator: 1/1
Gunner: 7/7
Defense Systems Operator: 2/2
Engineers: 4/4
Computer Tech: 2/2
Robotics Tech: 2/2
Technicians: 4/4
Medics: 2/2
Marines: 5/5
Cooks: 1/1

A ship that size could use more Techs.

Jaxon's picture
Jaxon
September 10, 2014 - 3:46pm
Marines: 5/5
Cooks: 1/1

A ship that size could use more Techs....

Well no need for a cooks if you have a fresher. As for Marines - if the conversation above is used - a boarding party is used from the crew so, convert them and the cooks to Techs. 

Personally, I prefer Marines. They can guard the bridge (1 or 2) and man the brig (1 or 2). That would require 2-4 plus a Corperal or Sergeant.

Also, pilots, engineers and navigators are the fast track field for command so, they would be officers. [Gollwin Academy...Characters who go through the academy's course of instruction can choose astrogation, piloting or spaceship engineering as their expertise.]

FYR

Officers (15)
Captain
XO
Chief Navigator
Chief Engineer
Chief Medical Officer
Pilot: 1/1
Co-Pilot: 1/1
Navigator: 1/1
Engineers: 2/2

NCO (3)
Senior Chief Petty Officer: 1
Master of Arms: 1 (Marine Sergeant)
Boatswain: 1

Enlisted (52)
Gunner: 7/7
Defense Systems Operator: 2/2
Computer Tech: 2/2
Robotics Tech: 2/2
Technicians: 9/9
Medics: 2/2
Marines: 2/2