This is a weekly posting with GURPS vehicles (and the like) to the GURPSnet mailing list. I grant the permission for all non-commercial redistribution of my work, but I would like to know if you put it on a website or the like. My site is down for rebuilding, but sooner or later the old stuff should reappear at omeyer.gmxhome.de Onno Meyer, 2007-07-01
Spaceplane v1.0 (TL8) Copyright 2007 by Onno Meyer Many space exploration scenarios require a cheap and reusable launch vehicle. For near future games, this spaceplane should do the job. The spaceplane carries 10 tons of cargo, passengers and crew. The spaceplane uses hydrogen/oxygen rockets for a horizontal takeoff and a rapid climb to low earth orbit (LEO). The acceleration starts at 3 G and increases until the engines are throttled back to maintain 4-5 G. In a few minutes the spaceplane will reach some 8 km/s and over 100 km altitude. The spaceplane docks with an OTV or transfer station with almost dry tanks. Then it uses the remaining delta-V, perhaps 300 m/s, to enter the atmosphere and start aerobraking. Finally it returns as unpowered glider. The engines burn 1,375 gallons of HO per second. A full load of fuel is $21,000. Subassemblies: Body +8, ten retractable Wheels +3. Powertrain: Three 500,000-lb. chemical rockets; 540,000-kWs advanced batteries. Fuel: 200,000 gallons HO (fire on 13). Occ: 2 RCS, 8 RS. Cargo: 900 cf. Armor F RL B T U Body: 4/100 4/100 4/100 4/100 4/100 Wheels: 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 3/5 Equipment: Body: Two very long range radios; two 5x LLTVs; two 1-mile radars, low-res imaging; low-resolution planetary survey array; flight data recorder; two sets of precision navigation instruments; two inertial navigation systems; two C2 small, hardened computers; two terminals; two-man airlock; two 10x12 man-hour limited life systems; cramped toilet; ten G-seats. Statistics Size: 200'x30'x20' Payload: 220 tons Lwt.: 250 tons Volume: 45,000 cf Maint.: 7 man-hours Price: $35,792,400 HT: 7. HPs: 3,000 Body, 90 each Wheel Takeoff (powered) gSpeed: 620 gAccel: 30 gDecel: 10 gMR: 0.25 gSR: 4 aSpeed: 2,650 aAccel: 60 aDecel: 1 aMR: 0.25 aSR: 5 Stall Speed 220. sAccel: 3 to 18.75. sMR: 3 Delta-V: 20,774 mph Landing (gliding) aSpeed: 200 aAccel: 0 aDecel: 1 aMR: 0.25 aSR: 5 gSpeed: 0 gAccel: 0 gDecel: 10 gMR: 0.25 gSR: 4 Glide Speed 200. Stall Speed 90. Glide Ratio 5:1. Design Notes Finely made. Body is 45,000 cf, with very good streamlining and lifting body. Wheels are 2,250 cf, retract into body. Structure is extra-light and advanced. Armor is advanced, fireproof ablative on body, advanced composite on wheels. Sealed. Computerized controls with duplicate maneuver controls. There are 815.47 cf of empty space. Empty weight is 60,000 lbs. The vehicle uses the design rules from Vehicles [2nd edition, 3rd printing, Dec 2004 errata], VXi and VXii (the armor volume rule) with the text format from Vehicles Lite. Next Week: Probably a missile carrier for alternate history games. _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
