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The Book 2 small craft are not completely defined in their descriptions. Specifically, details on drives and bridges are missing (though the Fighter may have a defined bridge alternate). To help show this, I will list in table format what we know from the official descriptions from Book 2 page 18. Because these are Book 2 craft, the hardpoints cost MCr0.1 each. Book 2 page 17 indicates that if weaponry is installed it uses one ton of the excess space. The configuration values for some of the craft are from Supplement 7 page 47, and the rest have been chosen to match. I am trying to rationalize these craft with the High Guard 2nd edition (HG) rules for small craft. HG page 34 says that drives and fuel take a minimum of 1 ton each, and that a bridge takes 20% of the craft with a minimum of 4 tons. For each small craft I will give tables: the first shows the information explicitly stated in the Book 2 description, the second shows my reverse engineering of what it should be in HG terms, and additional tables are given where needed to give a rational design.

Launch

Ship's Boat

Slow Boat

Pinnace

Slow Pinnace

Cutter

Shuttle

Fighter

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Launch (also called Lifeboat)

Using a 20-ton hull, the launch is capable of 1-G acceleration, carries 1 ton of fuel tankage, and has a crew of two. A launch may mount missile racks and sandcasters; it may not mount lasers as weapons. The craft has 13 tons excess space available for custom use, and costs MCr14.

As you can see from the table, 14 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added. Adding a 20% bridge takes 4 tons, and each drive should take 0.4 tons rounded to 1 ton. This neatly uses up the available 20 tons.

The next table will show the completed craft.

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Ship's Boat

Using a 30-ton hull, the ship's boat is capable of 6-G acceleration, carries 1.8 tons of fuel tankage, and has a crew of two. A ship's boat may mount one beam or pulse laser; remaining weapons must be missile racks and sandcasters. The craft has 13.7 tons of excess space available, and costs MCr16.

As you can see from the table, 15.5 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version shows a tonnage of 32, and a cost of MCr22.3 before the cost of the excess space. This is clearly not a viable solution. On the other hand, if we use Maneuver Drive and Power Plant A from Book 2, the tonnage and cost are much more managable.

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Slow Boat

Using a 30-ton hull, the slow boat is capable of 3-G acceleration, carries 1 ton of fuel tankage, and has a crew of two. A slow boat may mount one beam or pulse laser; remaining weapons must be missile racks and sandcasters. The craft has 19.9 tons of excess space available, and costs MCr15.

As you can see from the table, 20.9 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version shows a tonnage of 32. This is clearly not a viable solution. On the other hand, if we extrapolate a Maneuver Drive and Power Plant that is half of the A values from Book 2 (keeping the minimum of 1 ton per drive), the tonnage and cost are much more managable.

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Pinnace

Using a 40-ton hull, the pinnace is capable of 5-G acceleration, carries 2 tons of fuel, and has a crew of two. It may mount two lasers, and any remaining weapons must be missile racks and sandcasters. It has 22.4 tons of excess space available, and costs MCr20.

As you can see from the table, 20.9 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version shows a tonnage of 44, and a cost of MCr22.9. This is clearly not a viable solution. On the other hand, if we use Maneuver Drive and Power Plant A from Book 2, the tonnage and cost are much more managable.

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Slow Pinnace

Using a 40-ton hull, the slow pinnace is capable of 2-G acceleration, carries 1 ton of fuel, and has a crew of two. It may mount one beam or pulse laser; any remaining weapons must be missile racks and sandcasters. It has 31.6 tons of excess space available, and costs MCr18.

As you can see from the table, 32.6 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version shows a tonnage of 45. This is clearly not a viable solution. On the other hand, if we extrapolate a Maneuver Drive and Power Plant that is half of the A values from Book 2 (keeping the minimum of 1 ton per drive), the tonnage is somewhat more managable.

However, to meet the required 40 tons, the excess tonnage must be reduced. Thus we end up with the following.

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Cutter

Using a 50-ton hull, the cutter is capable of 4-G acceleration, carries 2 tons of fuel, and has a crew of two. It has 30 tons committed to special detachable modules; it has 2.5 tons of excess space available for weaponry, computer, and maybe a couch for a third crewmember. The cutter may mount up to two lasers; any remaining weapons must be missile racks or sandcasters. The cutter, without any modules, costs MCr28.

As you can see from the table, 4.5 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version shows a tonnage of 21.5 before adding the 30 ton module. This is possible if the loss of excess tonnage is acceptable. On the other hand, if we use A drives, the tonnage is more managable.

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Shuttle

Using a 95-ton hull, the shuttle is capable of 3-G acceleration, carries 2.85 tons of fuel, and has a crew of two. It may mount up to two lasers; remaining weapons must be missile racks or sandcasters. It has 71 tons of excess space, and costs MCr33.

As you can see from the table, 73.85 tons are already used before the bridge or drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version shows a tonnage of 103.3. This is clearly not a viable solution. On the other hand, if we extrapolate a Maneuver Drive and Power Plant that is half of the C values from Book 2, the tonnage is somewhat more managable.

This version shows a tonnage of 100.35. This is better than the straight High Guard version, but still not a viable solution. To make the shuttle work, the following must be done: 1) mix a "1/2 C" Maneuver Drive with a High Guard Power Plant, 2) take the fuel tonnage from the excess allotment, 3) reduce the remaining excess allotment slightly.

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Fighter

Using a 10-ton hull, the fighter is capable of 6-G acceleration, carries 1 tons of fuel, and has a crew of one. It includes a computer Model/1 and can mount only one type of weapon: one laser, up to three missile racks, or up to three sandcasters. It has one ton of excess space, and costs MCr18.

As you can see from the table, 3.5 tons are already used before the drives are added.

The next table will show the completed craft.

This version is clearly viable from the standpoint of tonnage, but doesn't match the image of a tight ship given in the description. It also doesn't have enough fuel according to High Guard.

This version is still a bit roomy for the description.

This version with "1/2 A" drives, and a combination of bridge and Model/1 computer fits the size defined. The description would be modified to say "usually has a crew of one" since a bridge has two couches.

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Copyright ©; 2004, Joseph Kimball. Last revision - 9 Jun 2004

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