Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 02:30:41 -1600
From: pd82495@wapol.gov.au (Michael Bailey)
Subject: USS "Kitty Hawk" - 100t TL 9/10 Scout/Probe

General Data

Displacement:   100 tons                Hull Armour:    12
Length:         56 metres               Volume:         1400 m^3
Price:          MCr75.896               Target Size:    S
Configuration:  Open US                 Tech Level:     10
Mass:           1079.75 / 674.5

Engineering Data

Power Plant:            200 MW Fusion Power Plant (50MW/hit), 1 year duration
Jump Performance:       1 (140 m^3 fuel)
G-Rating:               1G (50 MW/G)
G-Turns:                60 (119 using jump fuel), 4.7 m^3 each
Maint:                  51

Electronics

Computer:               3 x TL-10 Model St (0.3 MW each)
Commo:                  1000 AU radio (unlim., 20.0MW0, 1000 AU maser
(unlim., 0.6MW)
Avionics:               none
Sensors:                Passive EMS array 120,000km (4 hexes, 0.25 MW), 
                        Active EMS 120,000km (4 hexes, 80.0 MW)
Controls:               Bridge with 5 x Workstations, 4 other workstations

Armament

none

Accomadations

Life Support:           Extended (0.28 MW), Spin hull for environmental gravity
Crew:                   9 (2 x maneuver, 2 x electronics, 3 x engineering,
                           1 x command, 1 x mission specialist)
Crew Accomodations:     5 x small staterooms (0.0025 MW each)
Passenger Accom.:       none
Cargo:                  373.25 m^3, 1 large cargo hatch
Small Craft/Facilities: use cargo space
Air Locks:              2

Notes

No purification machinery.  Fuel on board sufficient for 2 x jump-1.

Internal Damage

1:              1-20 Elec
2-5:            1-10 Elec 11-20 Qtrs
6-9:            1-10 Qtrs 11-20 Hold
10-17:          1-20 Hold
18-19:          1-7 Eng 8-20 hold
20:             1-20 Eng

Surface Damage

1:              1-10 AEMS 11-20 Radio
2-3:            1-5 AEMS 6-20 Radio
4-7:            1-20 Radio
8-9,12-13:      1-20 PEMS
10-11:          1-17 Radio, 18 Air Lock
18-19:          1-6 Lge Cargo Hatch

Systems

AEMS    1H
PEMS    (2h)
SR      5 x (2h)
LS      (2h)
JD      1H
PP      4H
MD      1H
all others (1h)

Comment

These are specifications for the first ship in the series, USS 'Kitty Hawk',
later examples included on-board fuel purification and a remotely piloted
fuel scooping drone. 'Kitty Hawk' was involved in the first jumps by Terran
humans, following the discovery of the jump drive in -2431 (AD 2087).
Following the success of unmanned probes in microjump operations within the
Terran system, Kitty Hawk was built as Terra's first manned starship by the
United States.  Following a number of expeditions to establish a refuelling
dump at Point Alpha (empty space at 0307 Solomani Rim).  In -2424 (AD 2094),
'Kitty Hawk' and her sister ships 'Santa Maria' and 'Endeavour' jumped into
the Barnard system, and encountered a group of Vilani prospectors searching
for lanthanum ores.

Needless to say, the encounter caused massive reaction when word got back to
Terra, and led almost immediately to the First Interstellar War.  The Kitty
Hawk was hastily converted to fire missiles from her cargo bay, and was
dispatched to secure the Prometheus system in -2423.  'Kitty Hawk' was lost
with all hands in action against Vilani ships in the First Battle of Sirius
(-2418).

The 'Kitty Hawk' and her sisters were almost immediately made obselete when
the Terrans gained knowledge of gravitic technology from the Vilani.  Nine
examples were built, one survives as the centerpiece exhibit of the
Smithsonian Museum on Terra (the USS 'Republic' was prssed into service
following the Collapse, it took a number of years to bring the ship back
into commision, but 'Republic' served Terra faithfully during the Emergency).

The ship is a hybrid TL9/10 design, reflecting the Terran's ignorance of
gravitic technology prior to contact with the Vilani.  Environmental gravity
is provided by a spin hull orbiting the central cargo module.  
Michael Bailey (pd82495@wapol.gov.au)