GURPS Spaceships in Use: Small Craft
 

5-ton Light Space Fighter – A standard 1 man light fighter with 24 hour (life support) endurance. Capable of 6G for extended periods it is armed with a central main beam weapon and front and rear point defence weapons. The triple layer hardened armor and the twin ECM systems, help to increase the survivability of these exposed front line craft.

Front
1-3 Armor (Advanced Laminate) - Hardened
4 Battery (Medium) – Point Defence – 3x3MJ Improved UV Lasers
5 ECM
6 Control Room

Central
1-3 Armor (Advanced Laminate) - Hardened
4 Battery (Major) – main beam – 10MJ Improved UV laser
5 ECM
6-C Fusion Reactor (6 power points – derated)

Rear
1-3 Armor (Advanced Laminate) - Hardened
4 Battery (Medium) – Point Defence – 3x3MJ Improved UV Lasers
5-C Reactionless Thruster (6G)

Options: Unstreamlined, Stealth, Chameleon, Artificial Gravity and Compensation.

Size 5, TL 11, LWt 30 sTons, DT 5, Length 15 yards, Diameter 9.5 ft, ST/dHP 20, Hnd 0, SR 4, dDR 15 (Hardened), IR Signature +7, HT 12, Move 6G, M$ 4.43

Re: GURPS Spaceships in Use: Small Craft
 

Heavy Space Fighter

Built to exactly the same layout as the light space fighter this larger 2 man heavy space fighter has better armor and weaponry.

Point Defence Weapons: 3*3MJ Rapid Fire Improved UV Lasers
Main Beam Weapon: 30MJ Improved UV Laser

Size 6, TL 11, LWt 100 sTons, DT 20, Length 20 yards, Diameter 15 ft, ST/dHP 30, Hnd 0, SR 4, dDR 21 (Hardened), IR Signature +7, HT 12, Move 6G, M$ 14.05

Recovery vehicle -- fighters don't crash
 

One thing I've noted, and designed in TNE FF&S, was a fighter recovery small craft (I think pinnace-sized; I don't have the design present). Since a fair number of space combats will take place in effective zero-g, many damaged fighters that would, in a gravity well, go splat! would be recoverable -- they and their pilots (the more important part of the system, IMHO.)

If the fighter did not disintegrate on receipt of enemy fire (not, of course, unheard of) it might survive the action if be disabled. A recovery and repair of the fighter would be much more cost and time-effective than shipping another one out from a major fleet depot. At the very least it could be cannibalized for spare parts.

My deep-space fighter designs would have an ejection seat. If the fighter is disabled, the pilot and other crew could punch out (presumably in vacc-suits). They would be small sensor targets and might avoid being seen and targetted by hostile forces.

Each crew suit would have an automatic distress beacon/code machine/radio receiver. On receipt of the proper recovery code (broadcast by relatively short-ranged radio from this pinnace) this device would send out a locator signal, allowing pickup.

If the battle went against the pilot's side, he could activate the locator signal himself (or automatically after x hours) so that if he wasn't picked up by his own side he could at least have a chance to save his life.

And if all else failed he could have an "L capsule" built into his helmet. Asphyxiation is a nasty way to go.

Such technology could offer PCs some one shot sessions or even a short campaign. The players could crew such a recovery boat and attempt to make pickups of pilots (not in the starport "Hello, spaceman!" sense, of course) in the middle of a battle; other PCs could crew fighters or small boats for cover or even small warships.

Just a thought.

Re: Recovery vehicle -- fighters don't crash
 

Ejection is a very expensive option in the G:S system and not one I am sure even has a strong point to it in a non-atmospheric space craft. It's not as if they are going to fall out of the sky to crash and burn. It seems more cinematic than realistic.

Re: Recovery vehicle -- fighters don't crash
 

Lots of ideas there. The merchant crews could stumble upon a few pilot lifepods and cash in on the blood chits for repats. The fighter pilot should carry a re-entry kit, and if he makes it planetside there's an adventure right there.

I was thinking that a pilot might carry an orbital crash kit, with (perhaps) even a small com satellite beacon that he could unpack/inflate and be placed in in orbit before the pilot dropped out of orbit. He could then talk to the satellite with his hand radio on the planet surface. Using the Morse code rules in UT you could work out a sort of Bat-21 plot between a rescue ship and the downed fighter pilot.

Also, I would handwave the "ejection system" as the equivalent of the drop capsules/lifepod in UT. That would account for part of the expense, of course, and allow the ejectee to have some amount of DV to make planetfall with.

Re: GURPS Spaceships in Use: Small Craft
 

Remember the series Space: Above and Beyond? Having the cockpits double as ejectable lifepods makes sense to me and would provide more protection to a pilot from solar radiation than just the vacc suit alone. Explosive bolts and a tiny maneuver drive to kick it out.

The re-entry kit is a good idea too - essentially an inflatable heat-shield, parachute and a small rocket motor to kickstart the descent.

Why eject with vacc suit?
 

A disabled fighter is still more visible than a vacc suit and is (since it could, conceivably, be recovered, repaired, and shoot at you again) a valid military target.

The ideal thing for a pilot is to separate himself from a (visible) craft and have as low a signature as possible. He doesn't want to be vaporized by a laser shot nor does he want to be made prisoner (using "he", unfortunately, as shorthand for the gender neutral "he or she".) So he essentially wants to hide until his pals come by OR he has no chance of a friendly pickup.

Now an ejectable pod might well work -- but even then you'd want a functional vacc suit just in case . . .

Re: Why eject with vacc suit?
 

The thing is that the privileges of salvage or recovering survivors belongs tot he side that holds the "battlefield". If you're the defender protecting aginst raiders, great. If you're the raiders, not so much. This could easily lead to assymetrical ship design by role.

Fred Brackin

Re: Why eject with vacc suit?
 

The issue is an ejection lifepod costs M$0.5. So for 8 or 9 of these you could have another fighter. And a Traveller vacc suit is arguably as good for a space only fighter that has nothing to crash and burn into. Using the airlock is essentially a free action in terms of Traveller combat turns.

They would still risk being shot at no matter what they were in as they could easily be mistaken for kinetic kill missiles - and in fact could operate as one if they happened to be on the right vector and had some manouver ability. Hmm, are there any SF references to the impact of a man at high velocity killing a ship?

Small high-G recovery craft operating at the edges of the battlefield, out of range of the combat weapons seem to be the obvious mechanism for pilot/crew recovery. Just plot the vector from the point of ejection and be at the intercept point.

Re: GURPS Spaceships in Use: Small Craft
 

20-ton Fast Recovery Craft

Operating at the edges of the battlespace these fast craft recover ejected pilots, stray missiles and other ordnance – out of range of hostile activities. They plot vectors of ejected pilots, drifting missiles and other friendly ordnance. Using their enhanced sensors to detect these early and their 6G drive to manouver into intercept position, they are a valuable fleet asset - A most welcoming sight for ejected fighter pilots who have been drifting in space for hours.

Fitted with a sickbay and 4 bunks to treat the seriously wounded and 12 passenger seats they are capable of operating independently for hours during and after a battle. A small hangar bay allows the rapid collection of incapacitated pilots and drifting ordnance. An external clamp allows the craft to be locked on to disabled fighters and other small craft. 2 DT of cargo space allows the storage of collected missiles and other drones.

They find a large variety of other uses from fleet-picket ship to inter ship courier work.

Front
1 Armor (Advanced Laminate)
2-3 Cargo (2 DT)
4-5 Hangar Bay
6 Passenger Seating (6 seats)
C Control Room

Central
1 Armor (Advanced Laminate)
2 External Clamp
3 Passenger Seating (6 seats)
4-5 Habitat (Sickbay, Bunkroom)
6 Sensor Array (Enhanced)

Rear
1 Armor (Advanced Laminate)
2 Fusion Reactor (2 Power)
3 Fusion Reactor (1 Power derated)
4 Engine Room
5-C Hot Reactionless Thruster (6G)

Size 6, TL 11, Streamlined, Artificial Gravity, LWt 100 sTons, DT 20, Length 20 yards, dST/dHP 30, Hnd 0, SR 4, dDR 5, IR Signature 7, Seated Passengers 12, 4 ASV, Passenger Mass 1.9 sTons, Cargo Load 10 sTons (2 DT), Move 6G, Top Speed 6100, M$ 4.02

I like it.
 

Vis the comment on ejected fighter jocks being mistaken for KKM --

1.) the AEMS cross-section of a guy in a vacc suit should be less than a KKM.

2.) the PEMS output should also be less -- the KKM, even if not accelerating at full, should still be nudging itself with maneuver rockets to optimize its collision trajectory.

If a guy in a vacc suit just happens to be on a trajectory that goes SMASH on an enemy battleship -- heck, just call him "Lucky." Not gonna happen enough to matter. If he does -- think of him as a bug on a windshield (just less in the way of remains.)

One suggested add for the recovery ship -- put in some sort of waldo (or robotic arm) so that you can make pickup on an unconscious/disabled drifting pilot without having to EVA. Grab him (gently) then maneuver him into the docking bay. Seal bay (no gravity) pressure up, send a couple of EMTs in to maneuver him to the deck, raise gravity, hustle to sick bay.

Re: I like it.
 

Unlikely. Both are size zero or thereabouts [GT missiles are size 0] and the missile is likely stealthed. The guy in the vacc suit has a bigger signature.

Probably. The guy in the vacc suit likely has an infrared signature of 0 and the missile has an IR signature of 4 while accelerating. If the missile is "loitering" on minimal power waiting for a target then they have the same passive IR signature. In the visual spectrum the vacc suit will likely be much more visible as it will be white or silver to prevent overheating. So I guess that is an "it depends".

Heh, but an "interesting" result for a critical failure on EVA/vacc suit skill ;-)

He would still do about one-third the damage of a kkm at the same velocity - which is directly proportional to dST and a small kkm has dST 3 versus the mans dST of 1. In other words a fly hitting the windscreen doing 100 mps would hurt, bad :-0

It's below the resolution of the system - I would assume a hangar bay has such systems anyway. My mental image was unconscious pilots being guided in by a couple of guys in vacc suits in the open hangar bay.

There is a robot arm module but that is for manouvering ship size objects. Hmm, that makes an excellent replacement for the external clamp above (and costs 300K rather than 3K).

That works well. I guess it comes down to the "feel" you are going for.

Re: GURPS Spaceships in Use: Small Craft
 

Kinetic Kill Space Interceptor Missile (SIM-10)

Using fuel cells to keep its IR signature low these kinetic kill missiles are capable of severe damage if fired at significant range. Though the faster the relative impact velocity the harder it is to hit the target.

Typical dHP collision damage for 10 minute turns:
• Close = 3*6d (63 average)
• Standard = 27*6d (567 average)
• Distant = 270*6d (945 average)

Note a man (dST 1) hitting a spacecraft at similar velocities would incur one-third the damage (due to being less sturdy than a missile - dST 3)

(Hmm, I guess this is why I would favor a pseudo velocity drive for Traveller.)

Front
1 Armor (Advanced Laminate)
2 Control Room
3 Sensor Array (Enhanced)
4-6 ECM

Central
1 Armor (Advanced Laminate)
2-C Fuel Cell

Rear
1 Armor (Advanced Laminate)
2-C Hot Reactionless Thruster (6G)

Size 0, TL 10, Unstreamlined, Stealth, Chameleon, LWt 0.1 sTons (200 lbs), DT 0.02, Length 2 yards, Diameter 1.5 feet, dST/dHP 3, Hnd 2, SR 2, dDR 0.7, IR Signature 4, Move 6G/3000 mps, K$ 15

A similar signature SIM-11+ has the same stats except it is 8G (replace 2 Hot Reactionless Thrusters with Fuel Cells.

A higher signature SIM-11+ has the same stats except it is 12G (replace all fuel cells by MHD) and IR signature 5