--- On Tue, 10/9/12, Onno Meyer <[email protected]> wrote:

> Brandon replied to me:
> > > If you can dock with unpowered containers, you can
> dock
> > > with non-STL-capable stardrive components.
> > 
> > Most containers don't carry expensive FTL drives or
> crew. For safety, if
> > nothing else, the FTL component needs some thrusters,
> although a fraction of
> > a G (say, 0.1G where 1G is common for commercial ships)
> should be
> > adequate.
> 
> Well, if the drive and crew are so precious, give them a 
> proper ship to protect them :-)

We'll just have to agree to disagree about the FTL component having maneuvering 
thrusters.

> > > That is, the SDBs are cargo, not
> > > components of a FTL transport system.
> > 
> > What if the jump shuttle was carrying a merchant ship
> without jump drives
> > but loaded with cargo and passengers instead of a SDB?
> 
> Then it would be the LASH concept. Look at the deckplans 
> for Traveller SDBs and their jump shuttles -- the bow of
> the shuttle encloses the stern of the SDB.

Sure, that's how that combination does it. A jump shuttle could be designed to 
connect to the commercial STL component in way that  doesn't interfere with 
it's operation (other than having more mass to move).
 
> The more interesting concept uses the sublight drives of
> the lighter to move the combined ship, but as mentioned 
> I find it hard to explain.

Oh, I understand what you want, I just have a different idea of how it should 
be done ;)
    
> > > Calculate operating costs according to GURPS ...
> > 
> > Which makes me wonder if the divided ship approach is
> cheaper than a
> > single ship design.
> 
> I don't think so, considering how cheap and light default
> FTL drives are.

I'm used to GURPS Traveller, which are quite expensive: Removing even Jump-1 
drives cuts a ship's cost by 40-50%.
 
Brandon
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