Space ship size and design

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: "Wilson, Glenn M." <WilsonG@nima.mil>
<snip>
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 21:49:26 -0400
Message-ID:
<0C4D238598729A408908411FAD90FB78056DBEF5@clustl01.gold.rtgold.nima.mil>

Okay, the Brigade people are on vacation but I have a question about some
ships and maybe you guys/gals can answer them.

I am looking at the concept of modular weapons (like the OUDF stuff but
slightly different tack.)

I see Brigade has some ships that scream "Modular Weapon Bays" to me.

Light Container Ship
SFS-5003 small ship two medium looking bays

Light Freighter
SFS-5009 Medium ship four small looking bays

Medium Container Ship
SFS-5005 (picture looks 'closer' than first two)
Medium? Ship 4 Medium bays

Modular Container Ship
SFS-5000 Medium to large ship (?) with 6 medium bays

Does anyone have these? How do they compare to Brigade/GZG/etc. ships
(Corvettes/frigates/DDs/cruisers?  Would these 'bays' work as  (smaller)
mass 3 or 4 modules? The medium bays as mass 6 or 9 modules? Anyone can say
what the approximate size of the 'bays' might be?

Does any of the GZG ships (where is that pdf printout?!) have similar 'modular
bays' on them?

Gracias in advance.

Rambling follows:

I was thinking ships with masses ranging from 20 to 100 using weak (for the 20
to 50 ships as variants) or average hulls with Modular weapons bays of 3 (4
maybe) or 6 or 9 mass in size with 2 to 6 weapons bays per ship (or mass 10 if
you wanted 'broadside modules' for a capital ship consisting of
B4/2 arcs or paired B3/2's or paired  PT/2s or a PT/2 and a B3/2.)

For example (without checking the math) a size 30 mass of average hull
integrity ship with FTL, 2 FCS's, and a Main drive rated 4 might have a
'main frame' weaponry of B3/1 and 2 small (3 mass) modular bays  which
might have one of the following

1 B2/6 paired with 3 PDSs (or 1 B2/3 and a B1)on the other side for
patrol missions

PDS/ADAF/B1 [paired with 3 PDSs on the other side] for close escort of
a convoy in a fighter or missile heavy threat area.

A pair of MTM/B1 modules for a strike mission against a target convoy.

For a 'capture the ship/person' mission two modules with NB/1 and B1  in
each.

For a pair of mass 4 modules (this variant would drop to B2/3 for the
main
frame weapon) there could be a B3/1 and a PT/1 for long range  sniping
to support the heavies (well mediums probably for these forces.)

A heavier ship of this system might be a mass 70 Cruiser with no main frame
weapons and (depending on variant) either 6 mass 6 bays or 4 mass 9 bays.
Or 4 mass 6 modules and a 'main frame' weapon of PT/3 on  an average
mass 80 hull.

At the opposite end of the scale (unique flag ship type) you could have a
mass 180 SDN and a core of B3/3 plus something light and 6  modules with
the
two fore modules having mass 9 with one B4/1 and 9  PDSs and/or B1s plus
two midship mass 10 modules (just to be extreme) having 'broadside guns' of
B4/2 on each side and the aft modules could  be a Fighter Bay and 2
B2/3's
and 5 PDSs. Not that is a good design necesarily just 'different'.

Other cool looking miniatures but not directly applicable for this question
were:
SFS-5008 Heavy Merchant Freighter Fighter Carrier
SFS-5007 Heavy Merchant Cruiser
SFS-5006 Heavy Freighter
SFS-5001 Modular Merchant Fighter Carrier (reminds me of the launch
'system' for Traveller's design (not circular, clyinder,  yada-yada-yada
but
'dispersed' - i.e., don't even think about  approaching atmosphere with
this
baby - but it let you launch all your  fighters in one phase because
they were attached to the outer hull of the ship.)
SFS-5002 Modular Armed Merchant Cruiser
SFS-5004 Light Armed Merchantman

Gracias,