Collapsibles and Drop Tanks

[Mike Wightman]

Unfortunately for those who just wish to ignore them the use of drop tanks is one of the earliest bits of setting fluff we ever got for the 3I setting.

REGINA/REGINA (031 0-A788899-A) Date: 097-1 105
Officials of the General Shipyards on Regina today announced that they have completed negotiations with Tukera Lines to locally manufacture L-Hyd drop tanks for use on high-capacity commercial vessels. The first production examples are expected to be available within six months, at which time Tukera Lines will begin high capacity service from the interior. Component assembly will be carried out at General's more modern facilities on Pixie (0303-A100103-D).

L-Hyd drop ships have only been in service for the last dozen years in the interior, being made possible by recent advances in the field of capacitor engineering, a joint press release explained. Commercial vessels equipped with the new generation of long-storage jump capacitors carry jump fuel in specially designed L-Hyd drop tanks in excess of their rated tonnage. Upon conversion of the fuel to the massive energy required for jump, the drop tanks are explosively jettisoned through the use of break-away connections and explosive bolts. Jump is executed when the remains of the tanks are a safe distance from the vessel. A spokesman for General Shipyards explained that local yards are not yet capable of manufacturing the long-storage capacitors required for the process, but that production of the drop tanks is possible, thus allowing the high capacity starships of the Tukera Lines to begin service to the Regina subsector.

L-Hyd drop tanks are not reusable, and thus increase the absolute cost per jump. However, experience has shown that the increase in cargo tonnage resulting from the elimination of internal J-fuel storage more than makes up for this, the press release explained.
The joint press release concluded by stating that local manufacture of L-Hyd drop tanks marked the dawn of a news era of commerce and prosperity in the Regina subsector. Following the announcement, common stock in Oberlindes Lines plummeted 27 points on the Regina exchange before trading was suspended.
Officials of Oberlindes Lines were not available for comment.

REGINA/REGINA (0310-A788899-A).Date: 101-1105
Close on the heels of the joint announcement by General Shipyards and Tukera Lines that L-Hyd drop tanks would soon be manufactured in the Regina subsector, came word by express boat from the Imperial core that a decision has been made to deploy Jump-6 L-Hyd drop tank express boats on all major express routes. Initial feasibility studies indicate that such a system could average jump 5.5 per week by executing maximum jumps where possible, and leaving current xboat units to disseminate information between the new major relay points. The system is expected to cut communication time to the lmperial hub to under 25 weeks.
The Initial System Deployment Schedule indicates that the Regina subsector can expect to be fully integrated into the network within a decade.

Well either those 'senior grognards' on the GT starships discussion got it completely wrong or possibly drop tanks are being confused with demountable tanks and other forms of additional fuel stowage which do require fuel to moved to regular tanks before it can be used.

Canonically drop tanks can be used to provide all the fuel needed for a jump and then they are dropped, not carried through jump. In the destination system a new set of tanks will be needed for subsequent jumps. Hence the setting description of them being used on the high capacity trade routes of the interior sectors.