Almost noon to you Phil,

-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Pugliese (via tml list)
Sent: Saturday, October 25, 2014 9:56 AM
To: xxxxxx@simplelists.com
Subject: Re: [TML] Original CT LBB's scoutship vs CT HG scoutship?

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>> On Sat, 10/25/14, xxxxxx@comcast.net <xxxxxx@comcast.net> wrote:

>> Personally, I think requiring the power plant to have the same rating as
>> the jump drive if it had the highest letter or largest rating in the
>> upgrade
>> from LBB 2 First  edition to the Second  edition didn't happen. Another
>> question that I never was able to ask back then.

Oops, I met to say that the LBB 2 1st edition rule should have been changed
to read something like "All ships require a power plant, starships require
a jump drive, with the option of installing a maneuver. Non-starships
require a maneuver drive and a power plant. All ships that have a maneuver
drive
must have a power plant that is at least the same or higher letter as the
installed maneuver drive."

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Once I became aware of the various discrepancies, I started looking at it
> from the perspective of one of my side-jobs at work.
> (I assisted in formulating RFP's (request-for-proposal) & evaluating the
> resultant vendor submissions)
> So I began to consider the rules 'requirements' as more like a 'best
> practices' manual.
> (At work a vendor *could* submit a proposal that varied from the RFP but
> would incur a penalty when his proposal was 'graded out')

At the time I didn't have any fast way to get clarifications for LBB 2 and
LBB 5 1st editions so I just went with what was available. When LBB 5 2nd
edition I was able to catch on to the design process, even if I wasn't able
to match the published designs. With the release of LBB 2 2nd edition I
tried to run the design process and decided that I'd stick with LBB 5 HG 2nd
edition.

> I looked at HG 2ed (I didn't see the 1st ed for quite some years as I came
> into Trav right after the 2nd ed came out & the 1st ed was superseded
> after > only one year) as similar to the mil-spec requirements of the US
> DoD, so I felt that those rules should be followed slavishly.
> (I still wonder how the original 'Plankwell' BB design. with that wimpy
> meson screen, was danced past the Procurement folks. Maybe someone
> connected to it had high-level contacts/influence? "Hey we'll just use
> them against foes with only low-level meson guns, or none at all! Right?)

Lucky you I got a good look at HG 1st edition and did not get past
determining the weapon rating codes. Of course there are some things that HG
2nd
Edition omitted, fighter squadrons and medical section are the biggest.
Based on the number of real world warships that where built my take was the
builder orally promised that the Plankwell class would have the meson
screens upgrade at a later time and the later time or funding never arrived
to do
the job.

> With LBB2, & esp after the 'Annic Nova' adventure indicated that
> 'non-standard' designs *could* get an Imperial Registry, I tended to allow
> a
> reasonable amount of 'fudging' (post-commision non-standard refits?), esp
> since I became aware of the diffs tween the LBB2's when I bought that
> hardbound Traveller Book, started using it, & noticed right away some
> diffs w/ the original LBB's 1-3. (and even some minor diffs w/ the 2nd ed
> LBB's
> 1-3)

I have two copies, pamphlet and in the FFE reprint, of JTAS 1 that as far as
I know is the first place the Annic Nova appeared, unfortunately I only
skimmed through the details and never did anything else with the design.

> Still, one thing that remains 'hard & fast' is the large volume of fuel
> required for jumping. (60% for J6!)
> But, there is also the 'Annic Nova' example where large solar 'sails' were
> used to charge the jump capacitors.
> (Still can't see how that could actually work though, It's such a large
> energy requirement)
> Now there's a thought, maybe the Scout Ship could have a J4 engine but
> carry only enough fuel for J3.
> If J4 was wanted then drop tanks could be used if  avail (note: I've
> always thought that the IN Tank-Rons also performed the function of
> 'drop-tank'
> tenders) or a 'sail' like the 'Annic Nova' used could be deployed.

> [Note: As I recall the 'Nova had enough storage capacity to allow for TWO
> jumps. (one J3 & one J2, I think)]

During my efforts to go through and verify the original Traveller designs
I've been thinking about the jump fuel requirement. Since the time in jump
space is approximately 168 hours I think that half the fuel opens jump space
at the outbound jump point and the remaining half reverses the
process at the inbound jump point. Per JTAS 1 page 30 the energy collector
canopy takes between 1 and 6 weeks to charge the accumulators to make
a jump. The accumulators, I guessing here, change the collected energy into
right type of electrical and begins charging the jump capacitors and power
for the internal systems.

Per the design and construction rules jump fuel tankage is calculated based
on the maximum jump rating, of course if one is using the concept that the
if the rules do specifically forbid not having a full jump fuel load then
the fuel load can be less than that needed to make a jump four.

I'm not sure what IN Tank-Rons means, but I'll take a swing at answering. My
guess is that an IN Tank-Ron is a squadron of tankers used as mobile gas
stations similar to the KC-135 inflight refueling tanker. In the case of a
drop tank tender I think that the ship collects the jettisoned tanks
beginning
the refurbishing process while heading to the port where they can be placed
in storage until needed for the next run. The Consolidated CT Errata
mentions that to fill and I think refine the soup in the fuel tanks takes
about 8 hours when skimming a gas giant and then the time needed to travel
to the jump point.  The Annic Nova takes between 1 and 6 weeks to have
enough power to charge the jump capacitors and then travel to the outbound
jump point.

Several of my characters where Scouts and form my point of view I would not
want to be in a possibly unfriendly system for one to six weeks waiting
to charge the jump drive.

have a good one,

Tom Rux