Re: size of ships...

Some time back (I'm about a week behind in reading my list-mail) Oerjan
wrote,

> Escorts: up to about 4cm long, provided they're longish rather than
stubby

Which brings up a point... am I the only one here who thinks long,
slender
spaceships don't make sense? Yes, I know that all we're really doing
here is
coming up with PSB to rationalize whatever we think *looks* cool.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that except for ships designed for
atmospheric
entry (including, probably, most of the aforementioned escorts), the
stubbier
the better: keeps your mass more compact, your structure more sturdy.

In fact, you could argue that ships should be wider than they are long,
rather than the other way around. This allows you to concentrate more
firepower/ defences/ sensors/ whatever forward. If you stick a couple
engines
on either side of this mass, the elongated moment-arm makes it easier to
turn
faster -- while the crew, near the center, is hit with less G-force.

Some of you physics-types tell me if I'm totally off-base here.  ;-)

Scott Field