			    TRAVELLER Digest 411

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) 
	by toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
  2) Re: TRAVELLER digest 407
	by "Nathan Mezel" <therthan@mail.ic.net>
  3) Virus deaths
	by toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
  4) blockad runner
	by "David A. Nelson" <34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  5) Corrections & errata.
	by toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
  6) Population control
	by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
  7) Missiles
	by myhre@oslonett.no (StarWolf)
  8) Re: Missiles
	by merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 14:00:54 -0700
From: toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Message-ID: <199509102100.OAA08217@wrath.ugcs.caltech.edu>

Early Bird, TL-7 AROS (Airborne Refueled Orbital Shutte)

Specifications
Structural;
TL: 7
Airframe: Hypersonic STOL
Design Weight: 70,000kg
Price: MCr 13.06 

Thrust: 1 x 600 kN Turbofan w/ afterburner (900 kN`w/ aftb.)
	1   3 x 2500 kN Ramjet ( 75 tons thrust )
	   1 x 3000 kN LF Rocket 

Controls: Electronic, 1 x Cramped WS with REP, BLS
		Hydrazine jet attitude control system

Electronics: Weather Radar, FLIR, Inertial Nav, Gyro, Xpndr
		   2 x TL7 Flight Computers
		   3000 km Range Radio

Crew: 1 Pilot/Operator

Cargo Capacity: 15 m^3 Cargo Bay, 15,000kg Std. Payload

Fuel: 750kg Hydrocarbon Destillates Internal
	 11,000kg HRF Internal
	 Fitted to Carry 3 x 15,000 kg Drop Tanks

Performance; 
Configuration 1 (Turbofan Only, Empty Drop Tanks, HRF):
		Speed: Max 1000 km/h, Cruise 750 km/h,
			  Min 175 km/h. 
			  Effective G rating: 0.3
			  Takeoff: 1200m Landing:800m
			  Endurance: 1 hour
Configuration 2a (Afterburning Turbofan, Ramjet, Full Fuel):
		G: 0.78
		Endurance: 6 minutes
Configuration 2b (Ramjet, 66% Fuel + HRF ):
		G: 0.83
		Endurance: 6 minutes
Configuration 2c (Ramjet, 33 % Fuel + HRF ):
		G: 1.01
		Endurance 6 minutes
Configuration 3 (Rocket, 11,000kg HRF, 500 kg HCD):
		G: 0.5
		Endurance: 5 minutes

Effective Delta-V: 10 km/s ( Post-Refueling )

Semi-officially known as an ASSTO, "Almost Single Stage To Orbit" vehicle, the Early Bird requires only tanker support and a 2000 meter runway to reach orbit carrying a 15,000 kg payload. A common sight on low-tech worlds,it serves a variety of purposes, including satellite launch and maintenance, suborbital transport, space strike, 
and orbital interface shuttle.
To achieve orbit, the EB lifts off carrying enough fuel 
to rendez-vous with an airborne tanker at approx. 20 km 
altidtude and 900 km/h. This puts it above 85% of the atmosphere of a Terran-type world, thus greatly reducing 
the energy need to achieve LO. At this time, over 45 tons 
of fuel are transferred to the EB's drop tanks, while  afterburners are used to maintain altitude. When the fuel transfer is complete, the EB breaks away and begins to 
build up velocity and altitude using ramjets as well as its afterburner-equipped turbofan. When one-third of the fuel is 
emptied, one of the outboard droptanks is jettisoned. At this point, a special flap is used to compensate for the assymetric droptanks. When the turbofan begins to lose 
power it is shut down, and the EB relies solely on scramjet propulsion. As each successive drop tank is emptied it is jettisoned. The final exo-atmospheric insertion and deorbit burns are carried out using a liquid-fueled rocket. After deorbiting, the shuttle retains only approximately 500kg fuel for the turbofan to use during the landing phase.

Comment: OK, so with a lot of squeezing and fiddling it is
possible to get this thing to work. However, if you use the standard rules (FF&S, p 71) you will discover that this design produces only about 0.2 G-Hours from the ramjet/rocket. However, there is enough room to fuel the turbofan for several hours before refueling - thus producing as much as 0.6 G-Hours with the turbofan alone. This is not a good rule. Therefore I have applied the following rule changes;
a)`The 0.64 G-Hours requirement is scrapped - I use the < 10km/sec to orbit from the RealWorld (tm). 
b)Since the actual orbital burn starts from high altitude, most of the loss due to the atmosphere is neglected. 

This is not really the optimal way to treat this type of problem - it would be better to redesign the thrusters available, and add a more accurate table of the to-orbit
velocity requirements. Perhaps when I get the time, i.e. the summer of 2032 or so... 

------------------------------

Date:          Fri, 8 Sep 1995 16:55:35 +0000
From: "Nathan Mezel" <therthan@mail.ic.net>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 407
Message-ID: <m0srm3M-000hExC@ic.net>

errick said:
>Using KKMs can really throw this out of whack, but FFS has provided us
>with Electrostatic Armor (ESA).

	I thought ESA (Electro-Static Armor) worked against HEAP 
and plasma weapons but not KEAPs.  Am I missing something?  I suppose at 
the impact energy we're taking about the KKM might _become_ a plasma....  
Of course anything that can be invoked to reign in 150 hex Hail Mary KKM 
Battleship killers would be welcome. :)

	--Muir


> 
> Greetings! My name is Kevin Knight and I publish the Traveller magazine, the
> Traveller Chronicle. I downloaded some of your stuff from Joe Heck's Web page
> and am VERY interested in publishing it. If you are interested in having me
> do so, please send whatever articles you would like to have published to me

    >*Great*.  Unfortunately, I have not heard of the Traveller Chronicle. 
>Could someone on this mailing list please fill me in?

>Also, what are the legal issues concerning publication of material which
>has already appeared in another form (eg Web page)?  I realise this is less
>related to the TML list, but considering the recent change in policy that
>Challenge magazine has concerning publication of submissions, I feel it is
>still relevent.

>A.D.Venturer
 
The Traveller Cronicle is a "Magazine devoted to traveller in all its 
forms" published by Kevin Knight of Sword of the Knight Publications. 
 It is now released three times a year but from what I understand, 
submissions are low and he needs Traveller fans to send in their 
articles.  You can reach Kevin at:
2820 Sunset Lane # 116  Henderson, 
KY 42420-2084. (502) 826-1218
 His e-mail address is swrdknght@aol.com and there is 
a web page at  http://eeyore.lv-hrc.nevada.edu/~indy/traveller.html
Issue 8 was recently released and I think he has back issues 
availible.
As far as I know anything now published by Challenge (and those 
published in the Chronicle) remain the property of the writer/artist. 
 
By the way, tell Kevin that  Nathan sent you :)
Nathan

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 16:21:20 -0700
From: toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Virus deaths
Message-ID: <199509102321.QAA04724@dogbert.ugcs.caltech.edu>


Ok, so Virus killed more people than 14 years of war. Yet when it struck
most areas of the Imperium were already known as Wilds, with hundreds of 
blasted, dying worlds. True, the safe areas were still high-tech, but 
they were quite small by 1130. It would seem to me that those worlds that
were so fragile that they would die without interstellar trade and high 
technology (all your asteroid belts, and high pop worlds on uninhabitable
rocks) would already have died once the nukes started flying. This at least
holds true for the non-Safe areas. The Virus only made recovery impossible.

Also, as a reality check - what would Virus do if unleashed on 1995 Terra?
Well, I can imagine the following; trash the Internet, trash the phone
system, and severly damage the power grid. GPS wouldn't work, and this 
might affect some airliners for a time. THese effects would NOT be enough
to plunge Terra into the Stone age. If the Virus mangaged to get into 
military computers (which I assume it would - this is a SMART bug) it 
might certainly cause some tension. But again, I doubt that it could 
start a nuclear exchange. If you are familiar at all with military 
computers you will know why - they are mostly from the 1950s and 60s. 
This is particularly true with Minuteman launch control systems and the like.
Another effect would be economic - the NYSE and others would cease to 
function. 
In summary, Virus woudl cause another great depression, perhaps even 
a limited nuclear exchange ( NOT total MAD). But we would not plunge us
into a new Dark Age. Why would we then expect this to be any different 
with other TL-8 worlds ? 

No, what could and would damage Terra would be a nuclear attack from
space on all the major industrial centres and space ports and the like.
Something that was quite common in the 1120s... The consquences could 
easily cause collapse to TL-1 or so. (you are certainly familiar with 
the scenario; Mad Max, Waterworld, terminator, even Twilight;2000)
resulting in what is now so common in the Wilds. 

Now, it thus seems that while the most deaths might well have been caused 
by Virus killing every last human in high-pop, high-tech, unlivable worlds,
the horrors of those times and places died with the people that lived there.
The survivors that form the New Era all came from worlds where Virus may
have been just one of many curses brought on by the Rebellion. Equal damage
will quite probably have been done by tha ravages of War - economic collaps,
loved ones killed, battles and orbital bombardment. As well as perhapse
other weapons I think would have been used - biological above all.

How is this as food for thought and talk?
/ben

------------------------------

Date:         Sun, 10 Sep 95 22:43:17 EDT
From: "David A. Nelson" <34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: blockad runner
Message-ID:   <950910.230937.EDT.34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>

Hi, this is a little ship I designed for going where you are not supposted to
 go and Doing what your're not supposted to do....

BLOCKAD RUNNER
DISPLACEMENT:200 TONS          HULL ARMOR: 84
LENGTH: 43M                    VOLUME: 2800M
PRICE:  132.88mcr              target size: S
CONFIGURATION: WEDGE SL        TECH LEVEL: 15
MASS (LOADED/UNLOADED):  2350.394/ 1775.561
ENGINEERING DATA
POWERPLANT: 866.4MW FUSION POWER PLANT (288.8mw/hit), one year duration
JUMP PERFORMACE:  3 (560m of fuel)
G-rating:  8g (100mw each, coutra-grav lifters (20mw each)
g-turns: 50 g-turns, (94.8 using jump fuel) 12.5m of fuel each.
bunkerage: 1271.64m of fuel (90.8tons)
maint: 70
ELECTRONICS
COMPUTER: 3xTL model st (.55mw each)
commo: 30,000km radio (1hex, 1mw); 1000Au masser (**,.6mw each)
avionics: TL-10 avioncs, Tl-15 trainain following avonoics
sensors: passive EMS folding array, 180,000km (6 hex, .6mw)
         active EMS 180,000km (6hex, 11mw)
controls: 10x workstaion, with flight deck
ARMAMENT
   Two turret hardpoint sockets fitted (loc 16/17, 18/19: archs:ALL)
    Master Fire directory: TL-15 beam MFD (6 diff mods, no misdsles; 10 hex
                                            1.6mw, 1 crew)
ACCOMMODATIONS
Life Support: extened (.56mw), gravitic compensators (6g, 14mw)
CREW:  12: 5 engerining; 1x electronics, 2 maneuver, 3 gunnery, 1x command
crew accommodations: 6x small state rooms (double occupenice, 0005mw each)
passanger accommodations: None
Cargo:  484m of cargo with two large hatches
small craft and launch facliites: none
air locks: 2
NOTES:  there is a power excess of 9.591mw, 8.4 mw of this exess is set aside
        to power two TL-15 150mj lazer turretes.  Arming the ship will leave
        1.191mw of excess power.
        TL-15 fuel purificaiton plant can refine 625.6m in 6 hours and a full
        load of fuel in 12.2 hours

          Feel free to send my any comments.
                         David Nelson, Nelson Star Yards
                      "It o.k. we're staff......"

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 22:33:09 -0700
From: toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Corrections & errata.
Message-ID: <199509110533.WAA04320@sloth.ugcs.caltech.edu>


Apologies, apologies - I made a typo in the Early Bird stats. The thrusters
are not as powerful as I rated them.... the turbofan produces 6 tons of 
thrust, the Ramjets 75 tons, and the rocket 30 tons. sorry about that.
I feel like GDW, almost.

Oh, and regarding the comment about not using Tomahawks against the Serbs,
well, it would seem somebody has decided to escalate.
cheers,
/ben

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 16:53:29 +0100 (METDST)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@mpgn.com
Subject: Population control
Message-ID: <199509111453.QAA12990@embla.diku.dk>

Christopher Griffen writes:
>While the wilds have floundered and billions of people have perished in 
>what once was Imperial space, the Regency has continued to go about their 
>day-to-day business.  This includes having babies and continually increasing 
>the population.  While a large number of scientists (including Carl Sagan, 
>for one) have hypothesized that we cannot develop interstellar travel until 
>we have achieved zero-population growth as a race, there's nothing to say 
>that once we _do_ have interstellar travel, we won't proceed to overpopulate 
>the planets we colonize.

It is my opinion that the history of the Traveller Universe is quite
impossible unless one assumes that the vast majority of all starfaring
races practice population control for most of the time. And that includes
the aslans.

Consider a moderate sized new colony of 10.000. Give it an average population
increase of 3% per annum (I admit I don't remember just where I got that 
figure. I used it for years in my fantasy Great Game; I'm sure I based it
on something. Anyway, it dosen't seem excessively high for unlimited 
population growth. Indeed, humans would be capable of a lot more than
that, but we have to account for the odd plague, famine and war too.) Well,
you'd reach 115 _billion_ people in just 550 years. The Rule of Man had that
long. The Imperium had twice that (and once more if you count the Sylean
Federation before it). The First Imperium expanded for 3-4000 years and then
stayed within the same borders for 10 times that. They most certainly must
have practiced population control. The Aslans had 1800 years of relatively 
uncontested expansion during the Long Night. If they had expanded completely
uncontrolled for that long they would be covering Charted Space like a coat 
of paint by now.

Mind you, on some planets, at some times, population expansion must have
been less restricted. The same economic factors that makes exporting people
in large numbers such an economic headache will, of course, restrict
_importing_ people equally. So all the people on high-population worlds must 
be mostly "home-grown". But this must be a phase that new colonies go through 
and abandon. Consider Mora. We are told that Mora was settled by a "large-
scale" effort. Just how large "large-scale" is is not defined, but let's
assume that the original colony was a million strong. Given an average
population increase of 3% per annum they'd reach 10 billion in just over
300 years. If they kept that up unchecked until 1110 they'd reach 130
quintillion (that's 130,000,000,000,000,000,000) (Gee, exponential growth
can be a frightening thing...)

Btw. I once calculated (based on TCS budgets) that Aslans could afford to
outfit 1.8% of each generation (that's 1,8% per 30 years, not per year) as
_ihatei_. Not a significant population relief.



      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
------------
        "This gives a possible range of 56 to 178 starships
         total  in the three Terran starport facilities,  a
         believable quantity for such a star system."

        "We have a maximum of 178 ships in port, and (as it
         is a busy star system)  we will say that there are
         70 docking berths at the Phoenix facility."

                        ---Journal of the Traveller's
                           Aid Society # 22

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 19:29:19 +0200
From: myhre@oslonett.no (StarWolf)
To: merrick@Rt66.com, traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Missiles
Message-ID: <199509111729.TAA24900@hasle.oslonett.no>

Here is a few missiles I have created over the weekend, while I have been away.

TL-12 Missile/Semi-Independent

            Pow    Vol    Wgt    Mcr
WH-500Kt            .4    .4     1.2
Comm  10L    .15    .028  .056    .056
PEMS = 1hex  .03    .3    .6      .6
  Antenna           .05   .05     .05
EAPLAC      2.0    5.97  5.97     .024
--------------------------------------
Totals  Enough :)  7.0   7.08    1.93
--------------------------------------
G-rating=10/10


TL-14 FF-Missile (semi-ind option)

            Pow    Vol    Wgt    Mcr
WH-500              .358   .358  1.2
AEMS-1hex   6.0    1.2    2.4    2.4
Comm 10L     .15    .028   .056   .056
HEPLAR 5G*  3.0     .3     .3     .03
  Fuel             2.061  0.144   na
Fusion PP  (9.15)  3.05   9.15    .61
  Fuel 24hrs        .003   **     na
---------------------------------------
Totals      0.0    7.0   12.4    4.296 
---------------------------------------
G-rating=66/5
 *The design reflects the 15*displacement ton rule.
**This value are summed into the fuel weight of the
  HEPLAR

TL-15 FF Missile

            Pow    Vol    Wgt    Mcr
WH-10Kt             .103   .103   .6
AEMS 2hex   7.0    1.4    2.8    2.8
HEPLAR 12G  3.0     .3     .3     .03
  Fuel             3.524   .246   na
Fusion PP (10.02)  1.67   3.34    .334
  Fuel 24hrs        .003   **     na
----------------------------------------
Totals       .02   7.0    6.789  3.764
----------------------------------------
G-rating=112/12
**This weight is included in the HEPLAR fuel


TL-16 FF Missile MK I

            Pow    Vol    Wgt    Mcr
WH-500Kt            .103   .103  1.2
AEMS 2Hex   6.0    1.2    2.4    2.4
Comm 10L     .15    .007   .014   .056
HEPLAR 12G  3.0     .3     .3     .03
  Fuel             4.077   .286   na
Fusion PP  (9.15)  1.31   1.31    .262
  Fuel 24hrs        .003   **     na
---------------------------------------
Totals      0.0    7.0    4.413  3.948
---------------------------------------
G-rating=141/12
**This weight is included in the HEPLAR fuel


TL-16 FF Missile MK II

            Pow    Vol    Wgt    Mcr
WH-500Kt            .103   .103  1.2
AEMS 10Hex 10.0    2.0    4.0    4.0
HEPLAR 12G  3.0     .3     .3     .03
  Fuel             2.737   .19    na
Fusion PP (13.02)  1.86   1.86    .372
  Fuel              .004   **     na
---------------------------------------
Totals       .02   7.0    6.453  5.602
---------------------------------------
G-rating=87/12
**This weight is included in the HEPLAR fuel


I haven't included a TL 13 design when it would be quite like the TL 12. If 
you strain the design concept, you may manage to design a TL-13 missile with 
a HEPLAR.

For truly effective FF missiles you need a long range sensor. Either passive 
or active. But look at the prices. When the cost gets this high, it doesn't 
matter if you use a cheap kinetic warhead or a det-laser.

Besides the senario described a few digests ago doesn't make sense. Missiles 
are launched at 30+ hexes range and the firing unit runs. OK this far hadn't 
it been for the missiles been rated with a 1Hex PEMS. The PEMS won't have 
much to home in on if the target pops a few decoys and remain silent. To 
amend this the firing unit must remain where it is and control the missiles 
in towards their target, until the missiles sensor get a fair chance to lock 
onto their target.


--------------+-------------------+-----------------------------------
Roger Myhre   | myhre@oslonett.no | http://www.oslonett.no/home/myhre/
HIWGmember 142| Some people have one of those days, I got one of 
              | those lifes.
--------------+-------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------

Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 12:25:45 -0600 (MDT)
From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Missiles
Message-ID: <9509111825.AA23204@Rt66.com>

>Here is a few missiles I have created over the weekend, while I have been away.

Neat.

> TL-14 FF-Missile (semi-ind option)
> 
>             Pow    Vol    Wgt    Mcr
> WH-500              .358   .358  1.2
> AEMS-1hex   6.0    1.2    2.4    2.4
> Comm 10L     .15    .028   .056   .056
> HEPLAR 5G*  3.0     .3     .3     .03
>   Fuel             2.061  0.144   na
> Fusion PP  (9.15)  3.05   9.15    .61
>   Fuel 24hrs        .003   **     na
> ---------------------------------------
> Totals      0.0    7.0   12.4    4.296 
> ---------------------------------------
> G-rating=66/5
>  *The design reflects the 15*displacement ton rule.
> **This value are summed into the fuel weight of the
>   HEPLAR

You don't need the Commo since the warhead includes it.

Why is the HEPlaR so big?  Shouldn't be .35714% of volume per g like all
other HEPlaRs?  I get vol=.125kl for a 5g HEPlaR on a 1/2 ton ship.  The
missile needs 0.25MW/g, 1.25MW for 5gs, so .125kl for drive.

If it's because it's over 15*tons, then shouldn't it be a little less
than twicw as big as the .125 if it massed-in at the right level?

Also, I don't have FFS in front of me, but I guess there's a *huge*
difference in PP mass per kl at TL14 as opposed to 15.  It might make TL
14 missiles of this sort have to be like 1 ton to be effective.  

> I haven't included a TL 13 design when it would be quite like the TL 12. If 
> you strain the design concept, you may manage to design a TL-13 missile with 
> a HEPLAR.
> 
> For truly effective FF missiles you need a long range sensor. Either passive 
> or active. But look at the prices. When the cost gets this high, it doesn't 
> matter if you use a cheap kinetic warhead or a det-laser.

Pretty true, the 1.2 MCr for the laser looks cheaper with a pricey
sensor on board.
 
> Besides the senario described a few digests ago doesn't make sense. Missiles 
> are launched at 30+ hexes range and the firing unit runs. OK this far hadn't 
> it been for the missiles been rated with a 1Hex PEMS. The PEMS won't have 
> much to home in on if the target pops a few decoys and remain silent. To 
> amend this the firing unit must remain where it is and control the missiles 
> in towards their target, until the missiles sensor get a fair chance to lock 
> onto their target.

It makes sense when you have a missile that can move the detection range
the turn it's launched.  The missile Muir designed, and I've been
playing around with ends up like 25g115 with a PEMS and EMM, and
armor/internal structure.  Ditch the internal structure requirement and
it'll do 40g1?? no problem as the limiting factor becomes the mass of
BSD to brace the sucker for high gs.  So the target can't run.  He also
assumed that the missile corvette was painting the target with its
(upgraded) 16 hex AEMS.  The missile used the AEMS short range since the
target was locked and painted.  Under the standard rules it wouldn't hit
the turn it was launched as a FIM, it'd have to move to range zero, then
keep with the target (while evading :) til it gets its own lock (it
could be a SIM and controlled, or it could follow a bogey til it locks
it).

Regardless, with HEPlaR missiles can be the controlled type and be the
longest ranged weapons in the game, and hit the turn launched (depending
on the design---easy if you go to a 1 ton bay missile).  Missiles are
effectively direct fire weapons at much longer ranges than lasers, et
al. 

I think the High Guard canon would start being mimiced here.  In BR
I have missiles do their real damage (500kt does 3 in BR) and 1d6 hits,
but have multiple negative damage hits add up to a temp hit to duplicate
the cumulative effect of many lesser attacks.  The same could be done
for other weapons.  I toyed with adding a DM to the damage roll (I
always roll since there aren't nearly enough chits) so they'd do sensor
hits more since sensors are easiest to scrape off.

At direct fire ranges, forcing the target to be quiet means he won't
lock you (assuming no house sensor rules), and you'll get to shoot at
him until the missiles aren't a threat---and with 100 some odd gturns to
play with that might be a while.  In the mean time, you've locked him
and are shooting.  

With house rules for sensors, you'll paint him and hit, or he'll launch missiles
at you as ARMs, and you'll have to stop painting the target.  Since an evading 
missile with EMM _cannot_ be locked onto, that might be the only defence---and 
it's one that works in aircraft BVR engagements now. If you're painting a target
for a Sparrow and the bad guy shoots a fox at you, you have to fight the 
missile or die.  That or play chicken and see if your missile kills him before 
his can kill you.  Dangerous game.

-Merrick

------------------------------

End of TRAVELLER Digest 411
***************************
