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| | + | CONESTOGA |
| | + | TRANSPORT JUMPSHIP |
| | | | |
| | + | Launched by Boeing Interstellar in 2310, the Conestoga Transport |
| | + | JumpShip was one of a dying breed of ships built with what are |
| | + | now considered “primitive” construction methods. Boeing based |
| | + | the Conestoga’s design on the Cruiser-class’ frame and engines, |
| | + | which it had been developing in a desultory, on-and-off fashion for |
| | + | decades. While the Cruiser would not launch until 2325 when James |
| | + | McKenna championed the “beercan battleship,” Boeing sought to |
| | + | defray the research costs for it by launching a simplified, civilian |
| | + | hull: the Conestoga. |
| | + | |
| | + | A simple design, the Conestoga’s vast cargo bays were designed |
| | + | for easy reconfiguration to customer specifications. Common |
| | + | configurations ranged from 20,000 steerage-class quarters for short- |
| | + | haul colonist transport from Terra to New Dallas, to dedicated cargo |
| | + | vessels. The Conestoga proved to be a rugged long-haul transport as |
| | + | well, in some instances capable of hauling up to 10,000 steerage-class |
| | + | passengers and over 90,000 tons of cargo at once. |
| | + | Four large grav decks provided the comfort of planetary gravity |
| | + | during short transports. However, for longer trips such as colony start- |
| | + | ups, much bigger solutions were required. Boeing addressed this in |
| | + | the basic design of the vessel, making it a cylinder that could easily be |
| | + | spun to provide some “gravity” in the cargo bays during months-long |
| | + | parking orbits over colonies, or while charging the K-F drive without |
| | + | using a jump sail. The vast cargo bays were easily capable of storing |
| | + | the additional large quantities of bulky liquid hydrogen required for |
| | + | charging by engine rather than sail. |
| | + | |
| | + | While the Conestoga’s armor was only considered adequate, its |
| | + | weaponry was revolutionary with the inclusion of then-new large |
| | + | and medium lasers. Though principally designed for meteor defense, |
| | + | they could be employed as an anti-boarding measure to deter pirates. |
| | + | Eight Small Craft and three DropShuttle bays allowed the Conestoga to |
| | + | deploy its passengers and cargo in relatively short periods for a vessel |
| | + | of its size and era. Boeing later designed its own 5,000-ton Mingo-class |
| | + | DropShuttle in an effort to corner the market. Able to carry more |
| | + | than 2,500 tons of cargo, the Mingo further expedited loading and |
| | + | unloading times, and allowed a Conestoga carrying six such craft to |
| | + | haul an extra 15,000 tons of cargo. |
| | + | |
| | + | More advanced production techniques and the introduction of the |
| | + | DropShip/JumpShip combination would soon kill off the Conestoga. |
| | + | The Reunification War proved to be the last hurrah for the Conestoga |
| | + | and many other primitive vessels like it, after the Periphery states |
| | + | attempted to employ up-gunned versions against the might of the Star |
| | + | League navy and failed. By 2600, these ancient relics of early interstellar |
| | + | travel were virtually extinct, with the occasional derelict found among |
| | + | orbital junk yards or abandoned around distant Periphery stars. The |
| | + | last of the Conestogas—and perhaps the last primitive K-F drive |
| | + | vessels in use anywhere—were scrapped from Nueva Castilian service |
| | + | in 2935, when the Castilian factions had acquired enough modern |
| | + | replacements via “gracious” Hansa merchants. |
| | + | The Conestoga Transport JumpShip is typical of many other primitive |
| | + | JumpShips built by the Terran Alliance, Terran Hegemony, and others |
| | + | during the early Age of War era, and can be used as a template for |
| | + | games played in these time periods. |
| | + | |
| | + | Conestoga-class Transport JumpShip |
| | + | Tech: Inner Sphere (Primitive) |
| | + | Introduced: 2310 |
| | + | Mass: 700,000 tons |
| | + | Length: 400 meters |
| | + | Sail Diameter: 1,097 meters |
| | + | Fuel: 5,000 tons (12,500) |
| | + | Tons/Burn-day: 39.52 |
| | + | Safe Thrust: 1 |
| | + | Maximum Thrust: 2 |
| | + | Sail Integrity: 5 |
| | + | KF Drive Integrity: 21 |
| | + | Heat Sinks: 250 |
| | + | Structural Integrity: 20 |
| | + | Battle Value: 2,464 |
| | + | Armor |
| | + | Nose: 15 |
| | + | Fore-Sides: 13 |
| | + | Aft-Sides: 11 |
| | + | Aft: 7 |
| | + | Cargo |
| | + | Bay 1: Small Craft (8) 4 Doors |
| | + | Bay 2: DropShuttle Bay 1 Door |
| | + | Bay 3: Cargo (47,839 tons) 2 Doors |
| | + | Bay 4: DropShuttle Bay 1 Door |
| | + | Bay 5: Cargo (47,830 tons) 2 Doors |
| | + | Bay 6: DropShuttle Bay 1 Door |
| | + | Bay 7: Cargo (47,839 tons) 2 Doors |
| | + | DropShip Capacity: 0 |
| | + | Grav Decks: 4 (250-meter diameter) |
| | + | Escape Pods: 20 |
| | + | Life Boats: 40 |
| | + | Crew: 32 officers, 153 enlisted/non-rated, 5 gunners, |
| | + | 40 bay personnel |
| | + | Notes: Equipped with 240 tons of primitive armor. Features 200 |
| | + | Second-Class Passenger Quarters (1,400 tons). Primitive K-F Drive |
| | + | range is limited to 20 light-years per jump. |
| | + | Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard) |
| | + | Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class |
| | + | Nose (22 Heat) |
| | + | 2 Large Lasers 3 (26) 2 (16) — — Laser |
| | + | 2 Medium Lasers |
| | + | FL/FR (22 Heat) |
| | + | 2 Large Lasers 3 (26) 2 (16) — — Laser |
| | + | 2 Medium Lasers |
| | + | LBS/RBS (22 Heat) |
| | + | 2 Large Lasers 3 (26) 2 (16) — — Laser |
| | + | 2 Medium Lasers |
| | + | AL/AR (14 Heat) |
| | + | 1 Large Laser 2 (18) 1 (8) — — Laser |
| | + | 2 Medium Lasers |
| | + | Aft (14 Heat) |
| | + | 1 Large Laser 2 (18) 1 (8) — — Laser |
| | + | 2 Medium Lasers |