Freelance Traveller

designed by Peter Gray

This is a TNE spacecraft adaptation of the COAAC Daytona fighter.

Overview: The Daytona is a standard Imperial Design Package craft that is a direct descendant of the ancient X-40A Spaceplane of the United States Space Force (USSF). The X-40A was originally designed as a remotely controlled testbed for new space technologies like nuclear thermal engines and EMS sensors. However it was revealed in 2021 that the USSF had actually used its experimental designation as a cover for an essentially identical craft that succeeded the older Aurora two stage to orbit lifting body and shuttle as a launch platform and orbital attack craft. The Ascendant Angel used a pulse detonation wave engine to carry itself aloft into geostationary orbit, either to launch small satellites or payloads, or attack other countries satellites and ground targets with carried ordinance. In 2008 the older US Air Force mounted an experimental N-PAW weapon for use against other manned spacecraft, making it the world's first combat warship; a later variant was used in 2015 during the Taiwan War against high orbiting Chinese GPS and communication satellites.

The PDWE has insufficient endurance for maneuvering, meaning that an orbiting Daytona is a sitting duck for longer ranged starships. Subsequent users adapted a suborbital streak profile when the craft is used against maneuvering intruders: The ship would launch from a normal runway, streak into a suborbital trajectory, obtain targetting info from ground stations before launching part or all of its munitions, and either returning to the atmosphere for a second 15 minute run or conducting atmospheric operations against intruding assault ships and raiders. (For the Pulse Detonation Engine, use the AZHRAE stats). The Cargo bay is usually fitted for either fuel, small parcels, or VIPs and technical personnel. No airlock is fitted, and the crew must don spacesuits and depressurise the craft before doing an EVA.

General Data:

Displacement: 25                Hull Armor: 24
Length: 17.2 Meters             Volume: 350 m3
Price: 84.53 Mcr                Target Size: VS
Configuration: Cyl AF           Tech Level: 9

Mass (L/E): 279.237 tons/249.269 tons (loaded mass of 289.087 assuming wing hardpoints are at full load)

Engineering:

Power Plant: TL-9 6 MW Fusion (One Year Duration) (25 MW/Hit)
G-Rating: 2-G Pulse Detonation Wave Engine (PDWE) (MW/G), No CG Lifters
G-Turns: 1 (125.01 m3 each)
Atmospheric Endurance: 2.25 hours (Ramjet mode), 5 hours (turbofan mode)
Fuel Tankage: 125.01 m3+0.6 m3 for power plant
Maint: 40

Electronics:

Computer: 2xTL-9Flt (0.0025 MW)
Commo: 30,000 Radio (Range:1, 1 MW), 300,000 km Maser (Range:10, 0.3 MW)
Avionics: Imaging Radar, 130 km NOE
Sensors: HRT 30,000 km (Range:1, 0.06 MW), Radar 30,000 km (Range:1, 4 MW)
ECM/ECCM: Stealth
Workstations: 2 Normal

Armament:

Offensive: 126 m3 reconfigurable weapons bay (max weight of 115.74 tons, with no other ordinance or cargo carried), Plumbed FHP (2000 kg), 4 Plumbed IWHP (1500 kg each), 4 OWHP (500 kgs each)

Defensive: None

Fire Control: 150,000 km TL-9 MFD (Range:5, -2 DMs, 1 Crew, 0.12 MW)

Accomodations:

Life Support: Extended (0.07 MW)
Crew: 2 (Pilot/Commander, Weapons Officer)
Airlocks: None
Cargo: 21.317 m3, Small Cargo Hatch
Small Craft and Launch Facilities: None
Other Fittings: None
Features: None
0.27 MW Surplus