Re: BATTLERIDERS

The tugs of space are under rated and laughed at. They do lots of work
as well as being the stantard cargo design due to simplicity of load
distribution. Your analizing of this is mostly correct. There are some
small deviations that will exist. 

DAWGFACE47@webtv.net wrote:

the old TRAVELLER battlerider concept was thus; a huge, FTL capable
carrier that was lightly or completely unarmed, relatively slow in
normal space, and had from 2 though 4 non-FTL capable, fast, well
armored and armed battleships that were physically docked with the
carrier during FTL jumps.

a battlerider's crew lived inside the warship when it was attached to
the carrier, and there were various and assorted airtight bulkheads/
doors connecting the battlerider/carrier.

a 100,000 ton battlerider was always better armed, better armored, etc,
than an 100,000 ton FTL capable battleship.

but . . .

docking/undocking was an involved, time consuming process, with both
battleriders and carrier being very vulnerable to attack, damage,
destruction.

also once the carrier was destroyed, the battleriders were effectively
trapped in system until another carrier was dispatched to make a pick
up.

so, you , see, battleriders/carrier combos, are not tugs, at all.
battleriders are nearly always streamlined, battle rider carriers are
NOT streamlined. 

tenders are vessels that provide administrative, personnel, logistical
and maintenance support for other warships or patrol vessels. they are
not tugs, either.
always FTL capable, may or may not be streamlined.

repair ships are mobile heavy repair facillities, but are not mobile
docks or tugs. may or may not be streamlined, always FTL capable.

mobile docks, are huge self propelled vessels capable of extensive
repair, maintenace, and even construction for other ships. non
streamled, space ops only. 

tugs, to me, would be classified by mission requirements into several
types of vessels, mostly non FTL capable, both civvie and military (the
spacial versions of civvie harbor and military yardcraft. 

but, there would be at least three types of FTL tugs in service if tech
permitted; 

a. the FTL cargo tug, like the NOSTROMO in ALIEN, that physically
docked with non FTL barges (refineries, food processors, similiar) and
used very powerful FTL and normal space drives to move same from
point A to point B, etc. the tug would be streamlined and capable for
atmospheric ops, but the barge would be restricted to zero or very thin
atmosphere take-off/ landing ops.

b. the deep space, FTL capable, salvage tug. this vessel would have an
FTL drive and normal space thrusters rated to move a disabled vessel, or
non self propelled barge of equal or less mass, than itself by clamping
onto same and "going". more than likely this class of tug would not be
streamlined for atmospheric ops, so would be restricted to zero or very
thin atmosphere landing ops.

c. the FTL rescue/salvage tug, a smaller vessel, streamlined,
primarily a rescue vessel, but capable of limited salvage ops in space
or on worlds with atmospheres.
some of this type of tug may be attached to a seperate, detachable,
crewed vessel that is FTL capable. this would allow the tug to have
more space devoted to fuel tankage, powerful thrusters, repair shops,
medical facilities, etc.

another idea, i use in my gaming, is the space going version of rapid
transit container ships. non streamlined, powerful FTL drive, 2g/3g
thrusters, that have docking facilities for detachable non streamlined
cargo containers. this type of vessel might even carry some smaller
workpods or tugs to expedite the docking/undocking with the cargo
containers when needed.

MACDAWGIE

		
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