Re: Reloading torpedo planes

On Wed, 7 Aug 1996, JAMES BUTLER wrote:

> Since the "torpedo" torpedo planes carry fire and damage targets just
like
> pulse torps, it is logical to assume that they otherwise work
similarly to
> pulse torps. A pulse torp takes up five space and can fire once per
turn. A
> fighter bay has six mass, so we can assume that the facility for
reloading
> fighter torpedoes can likewise generate (at most) one fighter torpedo
per
> turn. Prior to combat, these torpedoes are loaded by the ship into
some sort
> of storage facility in the fighter bay. (I can't believe that you
would run
> around the universe with armed torpedoes in the bay.)

> So what do you think?
> 
> James

One possible way to explain the technology of plasma torpedoes is that 
they are a lance of plasma formed from a fusion explosion channeled by 
strong magnetic fields.  Therefore to get a functional, mobile torpedo, 
you need a device that consists of at least two parts, a fusion bomb and

a focusing/channeling element.	This leads to several possibilities for
a 
"torpedo" on a fighter.  One, is that the 'torpedo" is built in, meaning

the focusing or shielding elements  are built into the fighter and an 
expendable cartridge containing the fusion bomb is inserted in the 
fighter to reload.  Second is that the whole assembly is disposable and 
both the fusion bomb and focusing elemets are swapped each time.  These 
two possibilities assume that the plasma torpedo is more like a long 
"plasma lance" without an actual discrete projectile.  A third 
possibility is that the whole assembly does fly a short distance and
then 
detonates, possibly to protect the firing fighter from overflow from the

magnetic shielding.
	The key hazard to this design is the fusion bomb.  If I 
understand correctly fusion reactions are not easy to start
spontaneously 
and assuming technology sufficient to generate A batteries will probably

initatie the reaction via concentrated lasers on a tritium pellet as the

initiator.  Therefore a fusion bomb should be fairly safe to transport 
and store with interlocks such as mirrors or actual physical barriers to

prevent accidental laser ignition.  If you only have to replace a
"fusion 
bomb" cartridge to reload a fighter, it may be as easy as rolling one
out 
and strapping it onto the wing or as difficult as having to open an 
access panel or major fighter section, remove the expended cartridge,
plug a 
new one in and replacing the panel or section.	Or this process may be
so 
difficult that it takes half an hour to do and therefore beyond normal 
game terms.
	I think the best choice will be what works for your gaming 
group.	If there people who abuse the reload rate then increase it or do

away with re-loading.  Our group is fairly vicious towards fighters and 
rarely do they survive to reload so we're pretty lenient towards 
re-loading. We use a one turn re-load for torpedo fighters and have few 
problems with it.  (Then again if our players didn't insist on driving 
the fighters within 6" maybe more would survive to reload...)

Hope this helps,

--Binhan Lin