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--- traveller:spacecraft [2013/12/23 16:14] – [Magpie Light Freighter (200dt)] sam
+++ traveller:spacecraft [2019/10/20 09:53] – sam
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 The following lists commercial Solomani spacecraft common to each technology level.
+For a related page, see [[space stations]].
+===== Terminology =====
+==== Small Craft ====
+//Small craft// are less than 100dt and lack a jump drive.
+=== Boat ===
+Anything designed for ferrying passengers and light cargo between ships, normally within a few kilometres of each other. Rarely have life support for more than a few days, and have less than 1km/s delta-v. They are often carried by larger ships.
+=== Shuttle ===
+A small craft designed for ferrying passengers and cargo between a planet and low orbit. Similar to boats, with limited life support but considerably greater delta-v due to the need to reach orbit. Most shuttles have the ability to land on a planet and return to orbit, though this doesn't become possible until TL10+.
+=== Fighter ===
+A fighter is a small one or two man craft, generally less than 20dt, designed for combat engagements. They have high acceleration and a delta-v in km/s or tens of km/s depending on tech level. A day or two of life support is common, though some can support missions of a week or more. They are heavily armed, often mostly with single shot weapons such as missiles.
+=== Gunboat ===
+Larger than a fighter, but still smaller than 100dt. They have longer life support duration (weeks or months), and are designed for patrolling a star system, requiring a high delta-v and moderate thrust. They normally support up to half a dozen crew, so they can have multiple shifts.
+=== Yacht ===
+A small civilian craft designed for interplanetary travel within a system. Have weeks or months of life support, and moderate delta-v and thrust. Generally unarmed and lightweight. Some of the larger varieties can be greater than 100dt in size, but they are rare.
+==== Civilian Starships ====
+=== Free Trader ===
+A jump capable craft generally up to about 300dt in size. The fact that the crew are also the owners tends to be the main definition of a //Free Trader//.
+=== Light Freighter ===
+A jump capable cargo freighter up to 1,000dt in size.
+=== Medium Freighter ===
+A jump capable cargo freighter up to 10,000dt in size.
+=== Heavy Freighter ===
+A jump capable cargo freighter up to 30,000dt in size.
+===== Designs =====
+{{indexmenu>./spacecraft/}}
 ===== Technology Level 9 =====
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 The Condor is the most well known example of transport vessels from this era, and pushes the bounds of the technology available at this time. Most other vessels were of similar size and capability.
+==== Swallow Freighter (140dt) ====
+{{ :traveller:ships:swallow.jpg?nolink&150|}}
+Late TL 9 freighter with experimental plasma drive. The crew quarters are placed as far from the drives as possible, to reduce the radiation hazard. The hull itself is very light, and easily damaged by micrometeorites. It's total length is 40m, though much of this is the thin neck. The main bulk of the ship is 9m wide.
+Though ion drives were great for getting about a solar system, they were terrible for leaving planetary orbit, requiring complicated orbital manoeuvring to overcome even a small planet's gravity. The advent of the plasma drive improved things, but early versions were rare in non-military craft due to expense and also their perceived risk.
+The //Swallow// was one civilian design which tried to make use of the early plasma drive designs to allow fast orbital insertion and escape. Compared craft such as the //Albatross//, it could simply point away from the planet and thrust. In order to achieve this though, the //Swallow// sacrifices maximum speed and also durability - the design is stripped down to the bare essentials in order to reduce mass to a minimum.
 ===== Technology Level 10 ====
 Spacecraft which pre-date jump drives.
+==== Condor II Heavy Lifter (60dt) ====
+{{ :traveller:ships:condor-ii.jpg?nolink&150|}}
+A simple cheap transport to get cargo from surface to orbit. It is a streamlined box with limited aerodynamic capability. It is 22m long, 15m wide and 4m tall.
+There are many variants of the original //Condor//, and afew are left in service. Most though have been replaced by newer ships, amongst them are the //Condor Mk II// which was the first to be built with all new technology.
+It has 150% the cargo capacity of the original, as well as slightly improved thrust and range. It is still greatly limited by its use of chemical drives, but anything else available is considered too 'dirty' to use planet side.
+Like the original variants, the Mk II was a well known sight in some parts of Sol sector as the knowledge to build Jump drives was slowly recovered.
 ==== Eagle Bulk Freighter (3200dt) ====
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 Later variants tend to swap rail guns and mass drivers for laser weapon systems, or possible extra missile launchers. Early in TL10, lasers were still expensive and mostly untested in real combat. Having such a wide range of different weapon types in such a small ship increases maintenance and supply costs.
+==== Partridge Medium Freighter (280dt) ====
+{{ :traveller:ships:partridge.jpg?nolink&150|}}
+The //Partridge// is a medium freighter, using a stretched block design. It is 43m long and 10m wide/tall. It is notable for its twisted section of hull near the stern.
+Capable of carrying 100dt of cargo, the //Partridge// class of medium interplanetary freighter was a common sight in low tech star systems. It is soon obsoleted by ships of equivalent capability which also have a jump drive.
 ==== Zeus Heavy Cruiser (2500dt) ====
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 A distinctive Jump-1 capable tramp freighter, the Magpie was designed to transport small cargoes over short distances. Its Ion Drive is relatively large, providing more thrust than is common for such systems, but it is still hampered when in close orbit to a planet.
+==== Shrike Medium Freighter (300dt) ====
+{{ :traveller:ships:shrike.jpg?nolink&150|}}
+The //Shrike// is a medium 300dt Jump-1 freighter. Cut down to the barest minimum, it consists of a drive system, small life support system and a thin hull for storing cargo. It is very fragile, but its low mass enables it to have far greater range than similar sized freighters of a similar technology level. It is 45m long and 12m in diameter.
+Never a popular design amongst crew, the //Shrike// was referred to as the 'paper spaceship' by those who had to fly in them. Their complete lack of armour, shielding or any form of defensive systems meant they were highly susceptible to pirates, or even a small rock. They were only used in well monitored systems, where both natural and man-made dangers could be minimised.
+As a tramp freighter though, the //Shrike// was excellent. Though it suffered from a low powered drive system, it had excellent range, and was much better at reaching colonies far from normal jump routes.