Spaceships Q: Flying Saucers

[nerdvana]

How would you build a "flying saucer" type craft using GURPS Spaceships. I cannot see a way unless you invert the ship and have the front and back become top and bottom, basically squashing the whole thing out...

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by nerdvana

How would you build a "flying saucer" type craft using GURPS Spaceships. I cannot see a way unless you invert the ship and have the front and back become top and bottom, basically squashing the whole thing out...

Guess so.

[laserdog]

Spaceship defines the "back" as "where the propulsion" is.

My guess is that most flying saucers have the "contragravity" option when in atmosphere, this allows them to hover.

But to actually zip horizontally, this requires an engine system of some sort.

You need to decide if that is a reaction engine (unlikely), reactionless (in back), or a reactionless that doesn't need to be in back (e.g. magic).

But, as always, GURPS provides realism by default. If realism gets in the way of your story telling, feel free to hack a path through it as needed.