First, I'll have to say good points (double oww!)
Second, I really should have specified the "SDB" would have a J-1 drive. I have a bad habit of thinking people can read my thoughts and leaving things unsaid (or should I say, untyped?). In case of unexpected opposition they screen the cruiser and then jump out to a rendezvous point.*
Lastly, what the Huscarle Cruiser is, as we imagine it, depends on how we see it being used. Is it operating in a reasonable secure area? Contested space? Something in-between? Does the owner go for Merc Tickets, or does he go on crusades?
The philosophy of my design outline was that the cruiser could encounter some spaceborne opposition - hence the "SDBs"** to screen the cruiser from combat.
Eamon
* The Tender version of the Maggart Clipper used the same principle, with SDBs - but being utilized in a fleet makes all the difference here.
** I call SDB-style ships with J-1 or J-2 "Jaegers" IMTU. Used by some Planetary Navies and minor powers to get more bang for their dTons. Bith like the Scandanavian Coastal Defense Ships of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
________________________________
Sent: Monday, 16 July 2012, 6:05
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Huscarle Cruiser Last time - tangenital thoughts
Eamon--
I LOVE that idea. And sorry about my points! :-)
I nice little "Dragon-class" SDB (I've always used that term to specify
the classic slab-shaped 400-ton SDB) snuggled up into the belly of the
Huscarle would be both practical and smart and Eamon points out, but also
SWEET!
Kind of like carrying a Camaro or a Trans-Am in your RV.
Having fallen in love with your idea, I now have to think about fighting
withdrawals and rear-guards, and how does the SDB escape. Which takes us
back to jump-capable escorts, because they're the guys who get all in the
enemy's face while the main force gets all their stuff together and gets
out of Dodge.
Which probably takes us back to the original point of all of the missiles
carried by the Huscarle: it retires behind a veritable thicket or hedge of
missiles.
> Bouncing off Dave's points (ouch!) I'd say that with the significant
> number of troops on board, and the role of escort a good choice would be
> to have the Huscarle Cruiser carry its escorts - so as to avoid running
> the risk of losing its fighting force when it has to perform its escort
> duty. A small SDB or two would do wonders, and also make the ship a
> progenitor of sorts for the TNE Clippers.
>
>
>
> ________________________________
Sent: Tuesday, 10 July 2012, 10:34
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Huscarle Cruiser Last time - tangenital
> thoughts
>
>
>
> If you look at this as an operational unit, they should have the same
> jump, otherwise the notion of maximizing use of internal volume gets
> thwarted by the ships with excess jump. I also wouldn't drop the troop
> carrier down to 1G, because then it's just an LST liability. If you're
> only talking three or four ships you can't afford to have one of them be a
> big ball and chain. Also I wouldn't limit escort G-turns to the G-turns of
> the escortee, as the escorts need to provide cover for them, which
> requires maneuver superiority.
>
> That's assuming you have a free hand in designing the ships, and are not
> just having to pull them off the shelf with whatever mismatches they come
> with.
>
>> My recollection of Charles' mission statement was that it would be an
>> upscaled merc cruiser, carrying a company of troops, plus acting as an
>> escort for the owning Noble's yacht, meaning jump 4 and 4g an weapons.
>>
>> Eyeballing it, I think it can be fit in the remaining space, but with
>> limited small craft or vehicle space. One thing that can be done is to
>> halve the maneuver fuel - IIRC the yacht has only 40 g-turns of fuel, so
>> drop the Huscarle to match. That frees up another 350dt or so.
>>
>> Myself, I'd do it a bit differently. Drop the jump and and maneuver to
>> 2
>> and 1, and 30 g-turns. For yacht escort or potential space merc tickets
>> get a patrol cruiser or two. Use the extra space on the Huscarle for
>> small craft and vehicles, extra stores.
>>
>
Second, I really should have specified the "SDB" would have a J-1 drive. I have a bad habit of thinking people can read my thoughts and leaving things unsaid (or should I say, untyped?). In case of unexpected opposition they screen the cruiser and then jump out to a rendezvous point.*
Lastly, what the Huscarle Cruiser is, as we imagine it, depends on how we see it being used. Is it operating in a reasonable secure area? Contested space? Something in-between? Does the owner go for Merc Tickets, or does he go on crusades?
The philosophy of my design outline was that the cruiser could encounter some spaceborne opposition - hence the "SDBs"** to screen the cruiser from combat.
Eamon
* The Tender version of the Maggart Clipper used the same principle, with SDBs - but being utilized in a fleet makes all the difference here.
** I call SDB-style ships with J-1 or J-2 "Jaegers" IMTU. Used by some Planetary Navies and minor powers to get more bang for their dTons. Bith like the Scandanavian Coastal Defense Ships of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
________________________________
Sent: Monday, 16 July 2012, 6:05
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Huscarle Cruiser Last time - tangenital thoughts
Eamon--
I LOVE that idea. And sorry about my points! :-)
I nice little "Dragon-class" SDB (I've always used that term to specify
the classic slab-shaped 400-ton SDB) snuggled up into the belly of the
Huscarle would be both practical and smart and Eamon points out, but also
SWEET!
Kind of like carrying a Camaro or a Trans-Am in your RV.
Having fallen in love with your idea, I now have to think about fighting
withdrawals and rear-guards, and how does the SDB escape. Which takes us
back to jump-capable escorts, because they're the guys who get all in the
enemy's face while the main force gets all their stuff together and gets
out of Dodge.
Which probably takes us back to the original point of all of the missiles
carried by the Huscarle: it retires behind a veritable thicket or hedge of
missiles.
> Bouncing off Dave's points (ouch!) I'd say that with the significant
> number of troops on board, and the role of escort a good choice would be
> to have the Huscarle Cruiser carry its escorts - so as to avoid running
> the risk of losing its fighting force when it has to perform its escort
> duty. A small SDB or two would do wonders, and also make the ship a
> progenitor of sorts for the TNE Clippers.
>
>
>
> ________________________________
Sent: Tuesday, 10 July 2012, 10:34
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Huscarle Cruiser Last time - tangenital
> thoughts
>
>
>
> If you look at this as an operational unit, they should have the same
> jump, otherwise the notion of maximizing use of internal volume gets
> thwarted by the ships with excess jump. I also wouldn't drop the troop
> carrier down to 1G, because then it's just an LST liability. If you're
> only talking three or four ships you can't afford to have one of them be a
> big ball and chain. Also I wouldn't limit escort G-turns to the G-turns of
> the escortee, as the escorts need to provide cover for them, which
> requires maneuver superiority.
>
> That's assuming you have a free hand in designing the ships, and are not
> just having to pull them off the shelf with whatever mismatches they come
> with.
>
>> My recollection of Charles' mission statement was that it would be an
>> upscaled merc cruiser, carrying a company of troops, plus acting as an
>> escort for the owning Noble's yacht, meaning jump 4 and 4g an weapons.
>>
>> Eyeballing it, I think it can be fit in the remaining space, but with
>> limited small craft or vehicle space. One thing that can be done is to
>> halve the maneuver fuel - IIRC the yacht has only 40 g-turns of fuel, so
>> drop the Huscarle to match. That frees up another 350dt or so.
>>
>> Myself, I'd do it a bit differently. Drop the jump and and maneuver to
>> 2
>> and 1, and 30 g-turns. For yacht escort or potential space merc tickets
>> get a patrol cruiser or two. Use the extra space on the Huscarle for
>> small craft and vehicles, extra stores.
>>
>