Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 17:10:24 GMT From: "Brendan O'Donovan" Subject: Keats-class Jumpfighter Keats-Class Jumpfighter General Data Displacement :50 tons Length :33.6m Price :MCr46.7 Configuration :Needle SL Mass(L/E) :748.1/726.6 Target Size :VS Tech Level :15 Volume :700m^3 Hull Armour :94 Engineering data Power plant :240MW Fusion Plant (240MW/hit), 6 month duration Jump perf. :2 (105m^3 fuel) G-Rating :8G (25MW/G), ContraGrav lifters (5MW) G-Turns :60 (93 using jump fuel) 3.125m^3 each Maint :31 Electronics Computer :2xTL-15 Mod St Computers (0.55MW ea) 1x TL-15 Mod Fb Computer (1.1MW) Commo :1000AU maser (inf, 0.6MW), 1000AU laser (inf. 0.3MW) Avionics :TL-10+ Avionics, TL-15 Terrain following Sensors :TL-15 PassEMS 90,000km (3 hexes; 0.06MW), TL-15 ActEMS 300,000km (10 hexes; 15MW) Controls :Flight deck w. 3 workstations, 1 engineering workstation. ECM/ECCM :EM masking (0.7MW), decoy dispenser (600 ea. vs Active/Passive, 300 vs ladar) Armament Offensive :2x TL-15 700MJ laser lance (Loc 2,3,4; Arcs:1; 4.575MW ea; uncrewed) MFDs :1x TL-15 beam MFD (6 diff mods; no msl.; 10 hexes; 1.56MW; 1 crew) Short Medium Long Extreme 700MJ laser lance 10:1/21-66 20:1/21-66 40:1/11-33 80:1/5-17 Accommodation Life support :Extended (0.08MW; not fuel tanks), Grav Compensators (6G, 1.86MW) Crew :4 (2 maneuver, 1 gunner, 1 engineer) Crew accomm. :2 x bunk (hot bunking) Cargo :0m^3 Air locks :1 Notes: Fuel purification plant (1MW; 9 hours to refine 306m^), fuel scoops (280kl/hour) Surface hits 1 1-6 Ant 7-8 AL 7-10 1 EMMR Internal Explosion 1 Elec. 2 LasL1 3 LasL2 4 1-10 LasL1, 11-20 LasL2 5 1-10 Elec, 11-19 Qtrs., 20 Hold 6-8 1-9 Elec, 10-13 Qtrs., 14-20 Hold 9-12 1-2 Eng, 3-4 Qtrs., 5-20 Hold 13-16 Hold 17 1-14 Eng, 15-20 Hold 18-20 Eng Damage:JD 1H, MD 1H, Decoy 4h, PP 1H, LS 2H/1H, MFD 2h, LL 1H, FPP 1H, CG 3h, all others 1h History The Keats Class fighter was developed in 1117 in the Spinward Marches for shipping escort, to counter the growing threat from Vargr corsairs. Due to its low cost it was soon produced in great numbers, and larger Keats squadrons were employed in discouraging Aslan colonisation. As the design began to see service outside the Marches, it was even employed against smaller cruisers, the sheer number of Keats overwhelming the MFDs and sandcaster batteries of their opponents, and removing any critical target for a cruisers spinal weapon to be used efficiently against. The high maneuverability, reasonable armour and small size of the Keats improved its survivability, but nonetheless the Keats size made it fairly fragile, and casualties were high. However, the casualties were little higher than those suffered by squadrons with larger ships, as forces of Keats fighters lost far fewer crew per ship destroyed. The design is employed widely in the New Era by Regency Quarantine, as its armament is sufficient to tackle most vessels up to 1000 tons if used in sufficient numbers, and force sizes can be scaled easily by redeploying more fighters to systems where they are needed. The high acceleration means that the fighters can outrun, or intercept, almost all pre-collapse designs, and a fighter squadron covers a system's jump points far better than a smaller number of patrol cruisers or SDBs. Design notes The life support does not include the fuel tankage. 8G acceleration was actually the result of a slight miscalculation in the thrust needed, but when I found out, I decided to keep it, just to break through the 6G barrier which has hung on from Megatraveller days. The laser lances are not gravitically focused. At TL-13+ X-Ray lasers make it possible to produce effective non grav lasers. The advantage of this is the energy efficiency of the system - the non grav lance needs an input energy of around 820MJ, compared to the 3500MJ input energy for a grav focused laser of the same energy. The non grav laser does have a poorer range, and requires a much larger focal array, bringing the cost up significantly, but requires a much smaller HPG, saving space, and uses less power. 20 hexes is about the maximum range practical before the cost of the focal array becomes ridiculous. The use of non grav focused lasers makes it possible for the Keats to carry lasers with a total discharge energy greater than the Gazelle close escort. Although the cost of the weapon is greater, the ship needed to mount it is smaller, so overall, there are significant reductions in cost. For those who want to use the laser lance in their own designs: SA = 28.3m^2, power = 4.575MW, mass = 80.45, volume = 51.62, Cost = MCr6.855 (gunner's workstation not included) -- Brendan - signing off for a holiday