Re: GZG FT: Real world standards.

> Phillip E. Pournelle <pepourne@nps.navy.mil>:
> >For the sake of discussion, what are the standard conversion units
from
> >Full thrust units to "real" space?
> > 1 Mass unit = ??? tons
> > 1 CC = ?? Volume
> > 1 Measuring unit = distance?

  Muttering over that kind of thing myself, I set up a spreadsheet with
time vs distance for constant acceleration.  It turns out that at 450
seconds per turn, the distance you travel in one turn's acceleration
(distance in 1000's of kilometers) is approximately the same as the
thrust
you use (measured in g's).  That is, acceleration at 1 gee over 450
seconds
will move you approximately 1000km (1012.5, using one gee =
10m/sec^2--feel
free to convert to 9.8m/sec^2if you like).  (This ignores the fact that
if
you accelerate over one turn such that you move a distance D during that
turn, then you will have a velocity of 2D at the end of that turn).
   450 seconds also happens to be 7.5 minutes, which conveniently lets
two
FT turns happen in one 15 minute DS2 turn.
   Fast Fighters (in FB) can move up to 48 MU, and still arrive in
condition to fight.  Test pilots have taken 20g for short periods (with
special equipment, etc--do not try this at home!) so perhaps 24g is not
too
remote a stretch.  Taking 1 thrust as 1/2g, that would make fast (thrust
8)
ships max out at 4g, which is a little heavy but reasonable. 
Alternately,
and perhaps more plausibly, one thrust could equal 1/4 g.  (The
difficulty
with this is that planets become too large to put on the table).