Hello Jeffery,

> On December 9, 2019 at 7:31 AM Jeffrey Schwartz <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> That reads mostly right to me, and would float in most games.
> I've moved into a T5 rules mindset though.

Thank you for confirming that I'm not thoroughly out in a field somewhere with my understanding of CT drop tanks.

>
> In T5, you can get a Modified or Improved J-drive that's more
> efficient, if your build TL is a couple levels higher than the
> introduction TL of the Jump drive.
> According to  "T5.10 Book 2 p76" , if you're building a TL 13+ ship,
> you can put in a Modified jump drive:  110% jump efficiency, 90% fuel
> usage. ...and 50% the volume of the original drive, so you get back
> another 5 tons. On the other hand, T5 makes you pay a 1 ton for fuel
> scoops and such, so that 5 tons is going to get used up on other
> things. ...
> Including 1 ton for the grapple for holding an external pod of up to 35 tons.
>
> The +10% on jump covers the volume of the drop tanks, so you're jump-2
> even with the extra tonnage.
> The 90% fuel usage is ... well.
>
> Jump with fuel tanks: =24 tons * 0.9 = 21.6 tons
> Jump without tanks: 18 tons
>
> So my T5 Type-S-with-jump-tanks build would be :
> Modified TL-11 drive, get 5 tons back in drive, 2 tons in fuel back
> (18 tons of jump fuel in the ship) with the jump configured for
> "Bubble" rather than "Plates"
>  Spend 2 tons on fuel scoop, intake,..
> 1 ton on fuel transfer pump, 1Mcr.
> 2 grapples (Port & Starboard underbody), +2 Mcr,  2 tons
> Pod Options:
> 10 ton fuel pods -- hold 9 tons each, 1 ton taken up by grapples.
> Gives a jump 2 when installed. Note that these pods include Z-drive
> lifters, so inside the 1D limit they have really crummy performance
> but can be moved on their own without much hassle. You could design
> them as remote-operated fueling drones...
> 20 ton fuel pods: Hold 19 tons. Could put one on one grapple and have
> Jump-2+Jump-2
> 30 ton... oh. Grapples hold up to 35 tons. You could stick standard
> cutter modules under the wings.... You drop to jump-1, but a 30 ton
> fuel module would be 29 tons of fuel. Add in 18 in the inboard tank,
> and that's 47 tons. That's enough for Jump-1 out, drop the pod(s), and
> jump back home.

Looks like I'll have ti bump T5 up on my wish list.

Tom Rux