Eric asked: > I was inspired by a ship I read in a novel -- a wet navy troop/carrier > ship for dragons! > > Thinking for stability, a double-hull, with the hangar space in between. > Perhaps design for long-term support of four 40-ton dragons, (200x > larger than a man?) perhaps sailing for a month ( with cargo space for > rations, perhaps animal pens for cattle, and food for /them/!). > > The book suggested a draft of 20 feet, and able to hold 10 dragons in a > pinch. The setting is an alternative england at war with napolean, so > perhaps TL5 ? The ship should have 20 broadside cannons typical to the > TL (10 to a side), and a number of smaller cannons on the topdeck as AA > guns.
A couple of thoughts: We're talking about a seriously large ship, probably bigger than a first-rate. What would the masts and rigging look like for a double hull? Extended full rigs on both hulls would interfere with each other. Besides, wooden ships of the line were at the limit of practical length, without iron cross-bracing that came in the following years. Linking two marginal hulls might not improve matters at all. What are the alternatives to sail? Historically, steam power was just a few decades away. Could you build a dragon-fired steam engine? Or would experience with dragons bring better knowledge of fire and thermodynamics, and normal steam engines? Alternatively, get the dragons to work a treadmill. Muscle power paddle wheels were experimented with, to maneuver warships in a calm, when oared gunboats were a threat. Would the dragons need a clear space for takeoff and landing, or are they nimble enough to hover? Some dragons might need little more than a strong spar as a perch. One month endurance seems way too little. Big ships might get four or five knots, if the hulls were fouled and the wind was not perfect. If they had to tack against the wind, the effective speed would be even less. Winds could keep a ship unable to enter port for weeks, too. Can they be persuaded to eat salt beef? How energetic is their metabolism? How much food do they need per day? If the setting had dragons long enough, ADA might be developed, but how? No carriage mount could be trained fast enough. A big swivel gun, perhaps one- or three-pounder? How about firefighting? If both sides had dragons, big sailing ships could be burning ruin within minutes. How intelligent (or tame) are dragons? Do you need a cage? What is their effective range and firepower? Are dragon carriers the only relevant capital ships, or just specialists like, say, bomb vessels. Regards, Onno _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
