Freelance Traveller - The Shipyard - Classic Traveller Designs - Type R2, RL, and RL2 Subsidized Merchants

Type R2, RL, and RL2 Subsidized Merchants

These are "stretch" modifications of the stock Type R subsidized merchant into larger and faster ships, assuming that the crew/passenger/bridge section (where most of the complex systems would be) is relatively standard and adding hullmetal and standard engine pods is easy.

Baseline Type R Subsidized Merchant (Classic Traveller, c. 1977). 400 tons. Jump-1, 1-G. 50 tons fuel.
Model/1. 13 staterooms, 9 low berths.
2 hardpoints. Launch. 200 tons cargo.
Streamlined. 5 crew, 8 passengers, 9 low passengers.
MCr 101.03; 14 months; CER 2.35.

Assumptions on odd-sized (500-ton) hulls was that an engine pack with a Maneuver/Jump rating of 1 for a 1000-ton hull would have a Maneuver/Jump rating of 2 when used in a 500-ton hull. They are intended for a TL11-12 "pocket empire" where the maximum typical speed is jump-2.

The Commercial Efficiency Ratio (CER) is a relative cost/benefit ratio indicating how well a ship will perform in commercial service. The higher the CER, the more profitable the ship will be to operate.

To calculate the CER for a ship:

Total the Net Tonnage ("revenue space") of the ship in tons, counting each passenger stateroom as 4 tons, each passenger low berth as 1/2 ton, and cargo tonnage as straight tonnage. (Do not count crew staterooms, sickbay/ emergency low berths, or vehicle bays unless the vehicles are part of the cargo; Net Tonnage is only the part of the ship that can be used to carry passengers and cargo.) Multiply this net tonnage by the Jump number, then divide by the ship's cost in MCr.

CER = NetTonnage * JumpNumber / MCr

A CER of 3 is considered minimum for practical commercial service; below this, the ship cannot pay its own way.
If the ship is primarily a passenger ship (passengers pay more per ton), the CER can get down to around 2.5.
A CER of 5 or more can turn a profit even at the common carrier rate of Cr 1000/ton.
The CER assumes that the ship will operate at or near its maximum jump number. Generally, it is not practical to operate a ship much below its designed jump speed.

R2 "Stretched" Subsidized Merchant (TL11). 500 tons.
Jump-2, 2-G. 120 tons fuel. Model/2. 14 staterooms, 10 low berths.
2 hardpoints. Launch. 240 tons cargo.
Streamlined. 6 crew, 8 passengers, 10 low passengers.
MCr 178.4; 20 months. CER 3.11.

Stretched Subsidized Merchant (Type R2). Using a 500-ton hull, the Stretched Merchant is an enlarged, Jump-2 version of the Type R Subsidized Merchant. It mounts jump drive-E, maneuver drive-E, and power plant-E, giving a performance of jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage for 120 tons supports the power plant and allows one jump-2. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/2. There are 14 staterooms and ten low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control; no weapons are mounted. There is one ship's vehicle: a 20-ton launch. Cargo capacity is 240 tons; the cargo hold is plumbed for collapsible and demountable fuel tanks. The hull is streamlined.

The Stretched Merchant requires a crew of six: pilot, navigator, two engineers, medic, and steward. The ship can carry eight high/middle passengers and ten low passengers; maximum life-support capacity is 28. The ship costs MCr 116.1 (not counting weapons) and takes 20 months to build at Tech Level 11.

RL "Stretched" Subsidized Merchant (TL9). 600 tons. Jump-1, 1-G. 80 tons fuel.
Model/2. 14 staterooms, 10 low berths.
2 hardpoints. Launch. 390 tons cargo.
Streamlined. 6 crew, 8 passengers, 10 low passengers.
MCr 113.0; 22 months. CER 3.47.

Stretched Subsidized Merchant (Type RL). Using a 600-ton hull, the Stretched Merchant is an enlarged version of the Type R Subsidized Merchant. It mounts jump drive-D, maneuver drive-D, and power plant-D, giving a performance of jump-1 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage for 80 tons supports the power plant and allows one jump-1. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/2. There are 14 staterooms and ten low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control; no weapons are mounted. There is one ship's vehicle: a 20-ton launch. Cargo capacity is 389 tons; the cargo hold is plumbed for collapsible and demountable fuel tanks and may be subdivided for ship's vehicle bays. The hull is streamlined.

The Stretched Merchant requires a crew of six: pilot, navigator, two engineers, medic, and steward. The ship can carry eight high/middle passengers and ten low passengers; maximum life-support capacity is 28. The ship costs MCr 178.4 (not counting weapons) and takes 22 months to build at Tech Level 9.

RL2 "Stretched" Subsidized Merchant (TL11). 600 tons. Jump-2, 2-G. 140 tons fuel.
Model/2. 14 staterooms, 10 low berths.
2 hardpoints. Launch. 280 tons cargo.
Streamlined. 6 crew, 8 passengers, 10 low passengers.
MCr 227.5; 22 months. CER 3.0

Stretched Subsidized Merchant (Type RL2). Using a 600-ton hull, the Stretched Merchant is an enlarged version of the Type R Subsidized
Merchant. It mounts jump drive-G, maneuver drive-G, and power plant-G, giving a performance of jump-2 and 2-G acceleration. Fuel tankage for 140 tons supports the power plant and allows one jump-2. Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/2. There are 14 staterooms and ten low berths. The ship has two hardpoints and two tons allocated to fire control; no weapons are mounted. There is one ship's vehicle: a 20-ton launch. Cargo capacity is 280 tons; the cargo hold is plumbed for collapsible and demountable fuel tanks and may be subdivided for ship's vehicle bays. The hull is streamlined.

The Stretched Merchant requires a crew of six: pilot, navigator, two engineers, medic, and steward. The ship can carry eight high/middle passengers and ten low passengers; maximum life-support capacity is 28. The ship costs MCr 227.5 (not counting weapons) and takes 22 months to build at Tech Level 11.