View Single Post
Old 05-06-2011, 09:45 PM   #1
Phaelen Bleux
World Traveler in Training
 
Phaelen Bleux's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Default [3e] USS Constitution

USS Constitution (TL5)
Launched in 1797, the 44-gun frigate USS Constitution and her five sister ships formed the backbone of the fledgling United States Navy. Because they were the Navy's only capital ships at the time, they are slightly larger and more heavily armed than other frigates of the day. The USS Constitution saw action in the Quasi-War with France, and the First Barbary War. She earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812, when she defeated five British warships.
Her legendary status saved her from being scrapped numerous times. She circumnavigated the globe in 1840, and served as a training ship during the Civil War. She was retired from active service in 1881, and designated a museum ship in 1907. She remains a fully commissioned naval ship (the world's oldest, in fact), and is crewed by 60 naval officers and sailors for use in ceremonies, educational events, and tourism.

Subassemblies: Body +9 with Mediocre lines, one 198' Foremast +4, one 220' Main Mast +5, one 173' Mizzenmast +4.
Powertrain: 42,710 sf of Cloth Sails in a Full Rig.
Occupancy: 450 crew
Cargo: 1,000 tons.

Armor: 3/20W overall

Weaponry:
32 24-pdr Cannons (100 rounds each).
20 32-pdr Carronades (100 rounds each).

Body: Navigation instruments, 6 bunks, 220 hammocks, 3 cabins, galley, 13,500 man-days provisions, 4,800-lb. capstan, 36' longboat, two 30' cutters, two 28' whaleboats, 28' gig, 22' jolly boat, 14' punt.

Statistics:
Size: 204'x43.5'x220' Payload: 1,229 tons Lwt.: 2,200 tons
Volume: 179,059 cf. Maint.: 21 hours Price: $924,356

HT: 6. HPs: 28592 Body, 1252 Main Mast, 1014 Foremast, 774 Mizzenmast.

wSpeed: 15 wAccel: 0.4 wDecel: 0.4 wMR: 0.02 wSR: 7
Draft: 22'. Flotation Rating: 5,103 tons.

Design Notes:
Structure is Medium, with Standard materials. Waterproofed. Armor is DR 20 Standard Wood. The volume of the armor is figured into the design, as per the rules on p. VEii5. The armor is likely too high for realism, but I wanted the ship to live up to its legendary moniker. Mast heights are also probably excessive, despite being based on real-world figures. Design sail area is 58,213 sf; the historical value (shown above) was used for performance calculations, as was historical loaded weight. Design loaded weight was 1,743 tons. Accommodations are a guess. Volume was calculated using the Builder's Old Method; it was slightly higher than the tonnage volume of 157,600 cf (1,576 tons x 100 cf per ton). Design empty weight is 1,029,536 lbs. Design draft was 12'. The historical value is shown. She cost $302,718 to build in 1797.
__________________
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." -- Kierkegaard

http://aerodrome.hamish.tripod.com
Phaelen Bleux is offline   Reply With Quote