Keats-class Jumpfighter

Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 17:10:24 GMT
From: "Brendan O'Donovan" <Brendan@odonovan.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Keats-class Jumpfighter

Keats-Class Jumpfighter

General Data
Displacement	:50 tons
Length		:33.6m
Price		:MCr46.7
Configuration	:Needle SL
Mass(L/E)	:748.1/726.6
Target Size	:VS
Tech Level	:15
Volume		:700m^3
Hull Armour	:94

Engineering data
Power plant	:240MW Fusion Plant (240MW/hit), 6 month duration
Jump perf.	:2 (105m^3 fuel)
G-Rating	:8G (25MW/G), ContraGrav lifters (5MW)
G-Turns		:60 (93 using jump fuel) 3.125m^3 each
Maint		:31

Electronics
Computer	:2xTL-15 Mod St Computers (0.55MW ea) 1x TL-15 Mod Fb Computer 	
		 (1.1MW)
Commo		:1000AU maser (inf, 0.6MW), 1000AU laser (inf. 0.3MW)
Avionics	:TL-10+ Avionics, TL-15 Terrain following
Sensors		:TL-15 PassEMS 90,000km (3 hexes; 0.06MW), TL-15 ActEMS 	
		 300,000km (10 hexes; 15MW)
Controls	:Flight deck w. 3 workstations, 1 engineering workstation.
ECM/ECCM	:EM masking (0.7MW), decoy dispenser (600 ea. vs 		
		 Active/Passive, 300 vs ladar)

Armament
Offensive	:2x TL-15 700MJ laser lance (Loc 2,3,4;  Arcs:1; 4.575MW ea; 	
		 uncrewed)
MFDs		:1x TL-15 beam MFD (6 diff mods; no msl.; 10 hexes; 1.56MW; 
		 1 crew)

			Short        Medium       Long         Extreme
700MJ laser lance	10:1/21-66   20:1/21-66   40:1/11-33   80:1/5-17

Accommodation	
Life support	:Extended (0.08MW; not fuel tanks), Grav Compensators (6G, 	
		 1.86MW)
Crew		:4 (2 maneuver, 1 gunner, 1 engineer)
Crew accomm.	:2 x bunk (hot bunking)
Cargo		:0m^3
Air locks	:1

Notes:
Fuel purification plant (1MW; 9 hours to refine 306m^), fuel scoops (280kl/hour)

Surface hits
1	1-6 Ant 7-8 AL
7-10	1 EMMR

Internal Explosion
1	Elec.
2	LasL1
3	LasL2
4	1-10 LasL1, 11-20 LasL2
5	1-10 Elec, 11-19 Qtrs., 20 Hold
6-8	1-9 Elec, 10-13 Qtrs., 14-20 Hold
9-12	1-2 Eng, 3-4 Qtrs., 5-20 Hold
13-16	Hold
17	1-14 Eng, 15-20 Hold
18-20	Eng

Damage:JD 1H, MD 1H, Decoy 4h, PP 1H, LS 2H/1H, MFD 2h, LL 1H, FPP 1H, CG 3h, 
all others 1h

History

The Keats Class fighter was developed in 1117 in the Spinward Marches for 
shipping escort, to counter the growing threat from Vargr corsairs. Due to its 
low cost it was soon produced in great numbers, and larger Keats squadrons were 
employed in discouraging Aslan colonisation. As the design began to see service 
outside the Marches, it was even employed against smaller cruisers, the sheer 
number of Keats overwhelming the MFDs and sandcaster batteries of their 
opponents, and removing any critical target for a cruisers spinal weapon to be 
used efficiently against. The high maneuverability, reasonable armour and small 
size of the Keats improved its survivability, but nonetheless the Keats size 
made it fairly fragile, and casualties were high. However, the casualties were 
little higher than those suffered by squadrons with larger ships, as forces of 
Keats fighters lost far fewer crew per ship destroyed.
The design is employed widely in the New Era by Regency Quarantine, as its 
armament is sufficient to tackle most vessels up to 1000 tons if used in 
sufficient numbers, and force sizes can be scaled easily by redeploying more 
fighters to systems where they are needed. The high acceleration means that the 
fighters can outrun, or intercept, almost all pre-collapse designs, and a 
fighter squadron covers a system's jump points far better than a smaller number 
of patrol cruisers or SDBs.

Design notes

The life support does not include the fuel tankage. 
8G acceleration was actually the result of a slight miscalculation in the thrust 
needed, but when I found out, I decided to keep it, just to break through the 6G 
barrier which has hung on from Megatraveller days.
The laser lances are not gravitically focused. At TL-13+ X-Ray lasers make it 
possible to produce effective non grav lasers. The advantage of this is the 
energy efficiency of the system - the non grav lance needs an input energy of 
around 820MJ, compared to the 3500MJ input energy for a grav focused laser of 
the same energy. The non grav laser does have a poorer range, and requires a 
much larger focal array, bringing the cost up significantly, but requires a much 
smaller HPG, saving space, and uses less power. 20 hexes is about the maximum 
range practical before the cost of the focal array becomes ridiculous. The use 
of non grav focused lasers makes it possible for the Keats to carry lasers with 
a total discharge energy greater than the Gazelle close escort. Although the 
cost of the weapon is greater, the ship needed to mount it is smaller, so 
overall, there are significant reductions in cost.

For those who want to use the laser lance in their own designs:
SA = 28.3m^2, power = 4.575MW, mass = 80.45, volume = 51.62, Cost =  MCr6.855
(gunner's workstation not included)

-- 
Brendan - signing off for a holiday