Freelance Traveller

designed by Kevin Walsh

The first ship of this class is named after Imperial Sgt Major Eric Nelson, who was serving as senior NCO of ship's troops aboard the INS Bard Endeavour which was destroyed during the second battle of Kagukhashaggan during the Solomani Rim War. He rallied the few survivors of the crew to try and prevent a boarding action by Solomani marines attempting to salvage the ship. It went down taking 43 of her crew, including Sgt Major Nelson. Nelson was awarded the Starburst for Extreme Heroism posthumously. The ships of the class are named for army and marine enlisted personnel who exhibit extreme valor.

The ships of the class are built at several shipyards in the Spinward Marches and Deneb Sector. The first two prototypes were built at Maximus Interstellar orbital yard at Mora.

Design Notes

Built on a long wide streamlined wedge hull with a centerline hump running for 75% of the hull length, the ports for the missile bay are in the lower forward hull. The class is also fitted with a tall vertical tail fin that contains the sensor  and commo arrays, along with several of the weapons turrets, most of the ships fuel is carried in its broad delta wings. The small craft launch bays are mounted aft in the tail section, exiting forwarding and landing aft. a secondary hangar is fitted in the lower aft hull next to the cargo bay and maintenance shops. The ships are fitted with berthing facilities and equipment storage facilities for 2 platoons of troops and their vehicles, the ships are not equipped with drop capsule launch facilities however.

Design Quirks and Flaws

1. Problems have cropped up with the secondary sensor array, the signal processing computer has had several software glitches and its been updated half a dozen times, but they still haven't gotten it quite perfect. its known for producing transient sensor ghosts.
2. The maneuver drives fitted to these ships have proven very efficient, but require 20% more frequent maintenance intervals

Construction Data

Naval Architect: Blackthorne Falkirk and Haller
Primary Contractor: Maximus Interstellar Defense Industries

Engineering Systems

Jump Drive

Coulson CJX-1056 series capable of 3 parsecs per week

Manuever Drive

Maximus Blowtorch series capable 0f 5G constant acceleration

Power Plant

Coulson P5V series 8 with backup powerplant

Electronics

Computers

3 Integrated Data systems "Fletcher" series hardened naval computer arrays

Active Sensor Array

Ventronics H-65M "Voidranger"

Passive sensor Array

Ventronic VP-38C "Nightrider"

Communications Array

Ventronics Pulsar-3 series

EW Array

Ventronics Quantum-12

EMS System

Stanton Smoke and Mirrors

Weapons and Weapon Control Systems

Master Fire Control System

Stanton DH6 "Sailboard" Array

Missile Fire Director

Stanton P4T "Tail Drum" Array

Laser Directors

Stanton J15 "Turret Dish" Arrays

1 Maximus Griffon series Heavy Missile Bay firing SGM-500 Firehawk missiles, carries 500 missiles total

36 Ishymama-3600 Beam Lasers mounted in 12 triple turrets grouped in 6 batteries of 2 turrets

16 X-Tek calliope series pulse lasers mounted in 4 quad turrets in 4 batteries

12 Maximus SC-500 Sandcasters mounted in 4 triple turrets

Maximus Guardstar Nuclear Damper

43 ships in the class have been authorized to date. The following ships have been commissioned:

DE-35001 Eric Nelson
DE-35002 Bari Stafford
DE-35003 Glenn Landis
DE-35004 Michael Salibas
DE-35005 William Mackenzie
DE-35006 Clifford Kintner
DE-35007 Matthew Bond

Crew

50 Total. 13 Command and Control, 1 Jump Drive, 4 Maneuver Drive, 2 Medical, 4 Nuclear Damper Operators, 1 Weapon Bay Gunners, 11 Turret Gunners, 14 Flight Crew.

Hull

3,000-ton VGSL, non Lifting Body, Medium Frame, Standard Materials, Bonded Superdense (Expensive) Armored Hull (DR 1200, Psi-Shielded, Instant Chameleon), Standard Compartmentalization.

Control Areas

Command Bridge (Hardened, Complexity 10), Adv Sensors, Adv Commo Suite, EW (Hardened, Complexity 10).

Engineering

2 Engineering (155.1 dtons[6,462.8 MW], 108 Continuous Life Support), 123 Jump Drive, 494 Maneuver Drive (5.01 / 6.45 Gs, 49,400 stons thrust), 902 Cryonic Internal Tank (Fire 0, Loaded with 900 stons, 2 Scoops), 9 Fuel Processor (12.5 hours to refine Cryonic Internal Tank), 173.1 Man-Hours/day Maintenance.

Accommodations

3 Bunk Room, 30 Stateroom, 2 Military Sickbay (10 Patients), 5 Low Berth (20 Cryoberths), 2 Battle Dress Morgue (40 Users), 3 Gymnasium (12 Users), 2 Troop Armory (40 Users), Brig (2 Users), Hall/Bar/Conference Room (50 Users), Logistics (6 Users).

Armaments

2 Nuclear Damper (15 mi), 1 Lg Internal Bay Battery of 1 (Lg Hv Missile Bay [1500]), 6 Turret Batteries of 2 each (DR600, 3x405 Mj Std Laser[RoF Bonus +2]), 4 Turret Batteries of 1 each (DR600, 4x130 Mj Pulse Laser[RoF Bonus +2]), 1 Turret Battery of 1 (DR600, 3xSand Caster [200]).

Stores

112 Anti Blast Magazine (12xSand Caster Full Load [x200], Lg Hv Missile Bay Load [x1500], 0 dtons free for cargo), 40 Vehicle Bay (40-ton Pinnace), 40 Vehicle Bay (40-ton Pinnace), 100 Spacedock (4xAstrin APC, Intrepid Grav Tank, 2xUtility Grav Sled, 35 dtons for small craft available), 150 Hold.

Statistics

EMass 7,654 stons, LMass 9,864 stons, Cost MCr1,300.71, HP 120,000, Damage Threshold 12,000, Size Mod 11, HT 12, CP 186.

Performance

Jump-3, sAcc L/E 5.01 / 6.45 Gs, Airspeed 6,806 mph, Skimming Airspeed 19,249 mph, Aerostatic Lift 49,400 stons.

Sample Times

Orbit 0.05 Hrs, Escape Velocity 0.06 Hrs, 100D 2.85 Hrs, Earth-Mars 48.99 Hrs.

All times are Earth Std, Full Load.
100D and Earth-Mars assume mid-point turnover.
Turrets add to Jump Tonnage for Jump Drive/Fuel calculations

Thanks to Doug Berry and Steve Jackson who gave permissions for borrowing the narrative text