Aqueduct

Aqueduct.jpg
Aqueduct-class Liquid Carrier
Production information
Manufacturer Alshain Naval Yards[1]

Krester's Ship Construction[2]

Production Year 2638[3]
Use Cargo Carrier
Liquid Transport
Refueling Vessel
Water Carrier
Type Spheroid Civilian
Tech Base Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass 45,000 tons
Structural Integrity 30
Length 112 meters
Width 112 meters
Height 99 meters
Safe Thrust 1.5 g
Max Thrust 2.5 g
Fuel (tons) 600 tons
Fuel (days) 7.71
Armament
Armor 13 tons standard
Crew 38[2]
  • 6 Officers
  • 30 Enlisted
  • 2 Gunners

Bay Personnel: 14

Passengers 20 Steerage-Class
Escape Pods/Life Boats 6/0
Heat Sinks 118 single
BV (2.0) 919[2]

Description[edit]

The Aqueduct liquid cargo carrier DropShip was originally designed by Krester's Ship Construction to compete for a lucrative Star League fleet refueling contract. When it lost out to an alternative concept, Krester's decided to put the design into service in the civilian market. It quickly became one of the most common vessels plying Inner Sphere trade routes.[2]

When it entered production in 2638, the Aqueduct was the largest DropShip class ever built. It became a ubiquitous convoy refueling vessel for civilian merchant marine purposes and a popular liquid cargo transporter in the Periphery. An Aqueduct with six thousand burn/days of fuel is a welcome sight to any number of worlds.[2]

The ship is noted for its simplicity and sturdy design, which allowed it to survive the loss of technology during the Succession War era.[2]

The later twenty-ninth century-era Mammoth-class cargo DropShip was prototyped by Krester's as early as 2650 (but not finalized until 2808). It bears a strong outward resemblance to the Aqueduct, the main difference being that the Aqueduct has five engine pods compared to the four on the Mammoth,[2] which suggests it may have been a derivative design.

Armaments and Capabilities[edit]

The Aqueduct is lightly armed, with minimal capacities to defend itself. Mounted in its nose section is a single large laser, with single medium laser found in each of its aft sides. The ship's aft is protected by single large laser and pair of machine guns for point defense purposes.[2]

Cargo[edit]

The ship has two 'Mech bays to allow BattleMechs with jump jets to be used to help handle equipment for refueling or to provide cargo and security service on the ground.[2]

  • Bay 1: Small Craft (2), 2 doors
  • Bay 2: Liquid Cargo - 7,143 tons; 6,500-ton capacity, 0 doors
  • Bay 3: Liquid Cargo - 7,143 tons; 6,500-ton capacity, 0 doors
  • Bay 4: Liquid Cargo - 7,143 tons; 6,500-ton capacity, 0 doors
  • Bay 5: Liquid Cargo - 7,143 tons; 6,500-ton capacity, 0 doors
  • Bay 6: BattleMechs (2), 1 door
  • Bay 7: Cargo (2,850 tons), 2 doors

Named Vessels[edit]

see: Category:Individual Aqueduct-class DropShips

Similar Vessels[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • The Aqueduct's record sheet can be found in Handbook: Major Periphery States.[2]

References[edit]

  1. Objectives: The Clans, p. 33: "Alshain Naval Yards"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Handbook: Major Periphery States, pp. 203-204, 221: "Aqueduct Ship Profile and Record Sheet"
  3. MUL online entry for the Aqueduct

Bibliography[edit]