Q-Ship/Fat Trader by "Snapping Turtle" [Well, unless I've messed up bad, consider this an entry--it was done with Antti's excellent spreadsheet] With its lack of armament, sensors, armor and speed, perhaps the easiest and most attractive target for a Vampire in Regency space is the Tech-15 400 ton subsidized merchant [see RSB p.87 for original specs]. It is therefore entirely appropriate that a number of these vessels be converted to Q-ships. In order to lull Vampires into a false sense of security it is important that a Q-ship match as closely as possible the specs of a hapless Fat Trader especially as far as power plant emissions are concerned. The current dearth of shipyard capacity also dictates the least amount of renovation possible. To these ends, the design team proposes installation of interior bulkheads on selected Fat Traders to create two 25-ton autoloaded three-tube missile bays (one pointed forward and the other pointed aft) on the cargo deck. Additional proposed weaponry includes a remote-fired 210 Mj gravitic-focussed x-ray laser turret and a manned sandcaster turret. In support will be installed a redundant self-contained commo suite with a workstation and a canary, an additional dual-capable MFD with work station, two normal workstations, and decoy dispensers. The increase in crew size dictated by the modifications can be accommodated by a corresponding decrease in passenger capability. The increase in power demands dictated by combat can be accomplished by powering down lifters, fuel purification, and redundant electronic systems. Operational doctrine anticipates that the Vampire will approach the Q-ship not vice versa. The Q-ship therefore goes about its business exactly as would an ordinary merchant except that all communications occur through the self-contained commo suite with the adjunct canary . When the canary peeps upon the probing approach of a Vampire, RQS auxiliary personnel go operational; at the optimum range the vessel’s bow clamshell doors and rear cargo ramp open to release a deadly swarm of missiles while heavy laser fire simultaneously douses the intruder. The design team believes that the consequent achievement of surprise will outweigh the inherent limitations of this ship class thereby enabling a massive increase in potential defensive platforms available to the Regency. While the decrease in cargo and passenger capacity for vessels thus outfitted will be significant, a slight boost in subsidy payments will be sufficient to compensate shipping companies especially in view of the fact that the present crisis (1140) calls for drastic measures. Q-Ship/Freighter General Data Displacement:400 tons Hull Armor: 10 Length: 31.45 meters Volume: 5,600 m3 L Price: 110.63 MCr Target Size: S Price Configuration: Airframed Rounded Cylinder 1 (2:1) Tech Level: 15 Mass (Loaded/Unloaded): 3,020.7 / 1,670.4 M Engineering Data: Power Plant: 301.2 MW Fusion Power Plant, 1 year duration (30.1 m3 fuel) E Jump Performance: 1 (560 m3 fuel) G-Rating: 1G HEPlaR (200 MW/G), High-Efficiency CG Lifter (40 MW) G-Turns: 60 (82.4 using jump fuel), 25.0 m3 fuel each Maint: 120 M M Electronics: M M Computer: TL-15 Standard computer (0.55 MW), 2xTL-15 Standard computer (0.55 MW) ineering Da M Commo: 2xMaser (1000 AU; 0.6 MW), 2xRadio (10 hex; 10 MW) Avionics: Imaging EMS, inertial/gravitational positioning, 190 km/h NOE Sensors: AEMS (2 hex; 7 MW), PEMS (3 hex; 0.06 MW), 1 ECM/ECCM: None g E Controls: No bridge, 8 normal workstations, fire control center (2 workstations), Standard Automation g E ertial/E g Armament: Offensive: TL-15 210-MJ Laser Turret (Loc:0-Arcs:0;58.3 MW;No crew) 2xTL-15 Custom Missile Bay (Loc:0-Arcs:0;0.15 MW;1 crew) A Defensive: TL-15 Sandcaster (Loc:0-Arcs:0; 1MW; 1 crew Master Fire Directors: 2xTL-15 (6 Diff Mods; 10 hex; Msl 10 hex; 1.86 MW; 1 crew) :0-Arcs:0; 1 Short Medium Long Extreme 210-MJ Laser Turret 10:1/12-36 20:1/12-36 40:1/12-36 80:1/12-36 Accommodations: Life Support: m3 LS volume (1.12 MW), Gravitic Compensators (27.96 MW) Grav Compensation: 6 G. Crew: 15 (2xManeuver, 1xElectronics, 2xEngineer, 5xGunnery, 2xFlight, 1xSteward, 2xCommand) Crew Accommodations: 4xLarge Stateroom (1 kW), Small Stateroom (0.5 kW) Passenger Accommodations: 13xSmall Stateroom (0.5 kW), 13xLow Berth (1 kW) P Cargo:1204 m3 (86 tons), 6 Large Hatches Small Craft and Launch Facilities:10-ton AF grapple ll Stater C Air Locks: 4 l C C Notes: Total Fuel Tankage: 2,090.1 m3 (149.3 tons). Fuel scoops (6% of ship surface), fills tanks in 1.56 hours. Total F Fuel purification machinery (2.8MW), 22.39 hours to refine 2,090.1 m3. Total F T Crew requirements are calculated by using 'Original FFS' crew model. T 64.5 MW power shortfall.