Re: FT: Carriers

Roger Burton West wrote:

>Delta-V. The fighter needs to change its velocity vector from "forwards
>round the orbit" to some approximation of "down"; almost certainly
it'll
>want to reenter at less than orbital speed, because of heating
concerns.
>Firing it backwards along the orbit pushes it in the appropriate
>direction.

Makes sense. How about this (Since my original idea was for CV's,
designed 
for space ops mostly, but with orbital/atmospheric launch capability): 
The 
holding/launch/catapult cradle (PSB how you like), for space ops, holds
the 
fighter facing forward, and when deployed chucks it forward and away
from 
the carrier as on a modern carrier.  when set for atmospheric launch,
the CV 
orbits with it's belly facing towards it's path of orbit, nose down (But
not 
quite STRAIGHT down... angles slightly "backward").  The launch cradle 
rotates 180' so that the fighter has it's butt towards the bay opening,
and 
thus towards the planet and away from the orbital path.  When the cat 
launches it, the fighter is accelerated away from it's current velocity,

evffectively decellerating it, allowing it to drop into entry while
facing 
in the right direction?

>(2) ship is orbiting; fighteres need to decelerate relative to ship.
>
>So I'd expect to see carriers optimised for planetary assault with
>rear-firing fighter launch tubes.

Actually, for dedicated assault carriers launching drop boats, not
fighters, 
I'd put the launch tubes on the bottom of the hull, allowing for the
launch 
of more boats at once.

2B^2

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