 May 5, 2014 - 7:21pm | Drop pods are essentially the same tech as an escape pod except their purpose, initially, was about delivering troops to the surface of a planet under fire. Later civilian versions turned up for the scout/exploration serices and MSO where the stealth, jamming and defenses were down played and the pod was used for a command post after the drop or a supply depot. Military versions were all about delivering the maximum number of troops as fast and safe as possible so they could leave the pod behind as they advanced on their objective. So how big should a drop pod be? Clearly bigger than the escape pod- at least as big as a lifeboat? At this size its only suitible for special forces teams. A HS 2 sized drop pod might actually be big enough to pack in enough troops for a military operation. Pod is essentially a hull, minimal LS, some defenses and stealth technology, robotic pilot and breaking rockets and chutes. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 May 6, 2014 - 1:48am | For atmospheres it might have to be a lifting body of some sort, and at least steerable. If it's robot-operated/computer controlled, maybe it homes in on a pre-inserted beacon. Coming down on chutes would make the military version very vulnerable. As a historical precedent, WWII Horsa gliders were used to transport troops and supplies. |
 May 6, 2014 - 8:54am | What do you mean by "lifting body"? Like an airframe or hover fans? Or something that can return to the ship from the ground? View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 6, 2014 - 9:39am | A lifting body is an air foil like a plane. However, real world discoveries have proven that a rocket can land tail first underpiower with pin point accuracy. Thus i dont believe that a lifting body is required. Im not against a lifting body simply interested in extroiplating escape pod tech into military use. However the Nascom Automated Systems for Aerospace (NASA) DOLEV from FE #7 is such a lifting body and with the success of NASA's MOOSE and DOLEV systems i can see them getting a cointract for a stealth version of the DOLEV mark VIII but possibly big enough for a squad of 10 with an eye toward use for special forces insertion behind enemy lines. That wont fill the need for an economical landing platform for landing troops against enemy oppositioin. The gliders of the Normandy landing are perhaps best compared to the DOLEV system and a drop pod would compare to the landing craft of the same Normandy invasion. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 6, 2014 - 10:39am | I would see such a thing as a building with landing struts and a cockpit. For Star Frontiers, the engines would have to be to the four courners of the craft. It would be somewhat like a more compact version of the ship from Space: 1999. As a building, it could just fall straight down with some attitude thrusters to keep it upright against atmospheric variances and disruptions and to guide it to a safe landing zone as it drops. Just before touch-down, it fires its boosters at maximum and then shuts them off for a somewhat clunky touch-down. Firing rockets just before touchdown would kick up a gigantic dust cloud, which could actually work to advantage, given that drop ships have a tendency to be primary targets. A dust cloud increases the troops chances of successfull evacuating the drop ship. A little like this, but big engines on four corners:  View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
May 6, 2014 - 10:18am | Military use would probably favour a lifting body as it can be steered in a much more different way than a rocket. Put simply, it can dodge and weave. A rocket can perform similar manouevres, but it's different enough to make it more vulnerable. Also, a pod-type object could feature folding wings to allow it to have a compact, pre-launched state. That said, a rocket would be the system to go with on planets with little or no atmosphere. There are also some designs out there that combine both lifing body and tail-sitting rocket body - they've been suggested for manned Mars missions, IIRC. |
May 6, 2014 - 12:03pm | @ KRingway: I agree that a military would want the capability that you are describing and it exists already: a shuttle but shuttle operations are one thing and a mass landing is another LSTs in WW2 did not have much option for bobbing and weaving in the mass landings of WW2 because of the scale of a landing they pretty much had to go straight in. for a mass landing, a Normandy during the Sathar War 2 if you will, on one of the sathar outposts that requires a mass landing of Ground Fleet, this would not be suitable. They will need something that can be landed anywhere on planet, that is inexpensive to build, and can be employed in enough numbers to accept a certain ammount of attritian during the drop. No doubt the doctrine for landing will also include some direct bombardment by the navy as well. A scaling up of the escape pod fits this, has precidents in science fiction. Go with an egg shaped pod and you should be able to pack in at least a company. Perhaps even seed the drop with drones designed to lure in anti air weapons or jammers for increased survivability. Its a one way trip- down and they want it to get there as fast as possible. in fact the name for the system could be LST (Landing System Transport). Perhaps add in robotically controlled "flak guns" shooting gauss and lasers (so no recoil muddles the flight profile) to intercept rockets or missiles aimed at the pod. The military drop pod would be designed around getting the most number of troop into action the fastes so any consideration of using it as a building would be secondary or incidental. Latter civilian models might employ the building concept that was suggested for example a scout service might use one to land a team on a new planet and the drop pod becomes the base of operations till pickup (one chore for the exploration team would be clearing a landing feild) a field hospital could be built into such a pod and landed in a secure area. video demostrating the concept https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5LGxwrioOg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZz1mmAOOI0 I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 6, 2014 - 12:33pm | When I said "building with landing struts", I was not suggesting it be used as a base. I was suggesting its shape. Though a V-shaped underbelly would work best for maximizing the speed of the drop. The idea is to drop it in like a lead brick, be armored enough to withstand a little punishment and not be too heavy to lift back out. Like vietnam helicopters, it would drop in quick, offload, then take off quick. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 May 6, 2014 - 1:27pm | For military operations one size does not fit all. Drop pods would come in several sizes and varities depending on the mission parameters. If you are doing a large scale invasion where stealth is not a requirement and deliverying a large amount of soldiers, equipment and supplies is then a building with landing landing struts and some landing zone clearing weapons would be needed. However if you are landing a raiding or recon force, say a Special Forces A Team or Ranger Platoon or Delta Force detachment, then a much more manueverable and quiet drop pod would be necessary. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
May 6, 2014 - 1:49pm | Jedion - what I had in mind isn't a shuttle. I'm thinking more of a one-shot thing, which is why I mentioned the Horsa. Rockets simply would not be able to avoid countermeasures to any great extent, and would have to follow quite predictable flightpaths. 'Landing a building' might work if the gravity isn't particularly high - otherwise you'd need rather large engines. You might possibly be able to do this, but it would be expensive as a one-shot option. If it has to come back up through an atmsophere, you might as well use some other form of interface vehicle. |
May 6, 2014 - 2:14pm | After the invasion of Normandy the Allies brought an artificial dock with them. They needed one to ferry in supplies and none of the invasion beaches had a dock capable of handling large ships. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 May 12, 2014 - 5:19pm | Years ago i came up with this idea! there was not much of a write up for the shuttle. I remember that I was thinking it had one Atomic "A" drive that was split up into four thruster units. There where several different "Tubs" like a troop carrier, medical evac unit and normal cargo versions. Weapons onboard where just normal Heavy Lasers. |
May 13, 2014 - 2:26am | It would need some sort of aerodynamic shell to get through atmospheres. |
