streamlining and atmospheric operations

I've been thinking about streamlining and atmospheric operations.  As
the MT
and FB rules stand, there's no reason, other than for accurate
description
of a mini, to take full streamlining over partial.  The amount of mass
required for, and the points cost of, the streamining/thrust
combinations to
take off from a given planet are the same (leaving aside any questions
of
rounding) and the partially streamlined ship is more maneuvreable in
space.	

I suggest that:
1) to take off from a FT planet should require thrust equal to its
diameter
in inches (m.u.)
2) For this purpose only, partial streamlining doubles the ships thrust,
and
full streamlining triples it.
3) The points cost of streamlining should be equal to its mass.

These suggestions have the following effects: 
1) current atmosphere-capable designs have the same capabilities as
under MT
2) a Thrust-12 ship could take off from an earthlike planet without any
streamlining at all (I think that's fair enough, and anyway it's
unlikely to
be common!)
3) There is a small points incentive to go for streamlining over thrust
4) any streamlined designs people already have get slightly cheaper,
which
they are less likely to find objectionable than the reverse.

I would also suggest that a landing might require less thrust than a
takeoff, although I realize that any change there may well be more
trouble
than its worth.

Rob

"Rob Paul

Dept of Zoology
Oxford University
South Parks Road
Oxford
(01865) 271124
----------------------------------------------
"Auld an' bald!"
"