Scout (JumpShip class)
Sarna News
- This article is about the JumpShip class. For other uses, see Scout (disambiguation).
| |
| Scout | |
|---|---|
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Alliance Aerospace Group[1] Dharma HyperSpace Ioto Galactic Enterprises Irian Technologies |
| Use | Exploration/Military |
| Tech Base | Star League |
| Cost | 300,000,000 C-Bills |
| Introduced | 2712 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 90,000 tons |
| Length | 273 meters |
| Sail Diameter | 890 meters |
| Fuel | 46 tons (460) |
| Burn Rate | 9.77 |
| Top Thrust | 0.2 Gs |
| Sail Integrity | 3 |
| KF Drive Integrity | 3 |
| LF Battery | None |
| Armament | None |
| Armor | 40 tons |
| DropShip Capacity | 1 |
| Crew | 17 crew, 1 AeroSpace Pilot |
| Grav Decks | None |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | None |
| Heat Sinks | 0 + 121 |
| Structural Integrity | 1 |
| BV (1.0) | 560[2] |
| BV (2.0) | ??? |
Contents
Description[edit]
The Scout class is the smallest JumpShip class still in common use. Its small carrying capacity (only one DropShip) means that it is primarily used for military operations or exploration - the maintenance costs are too prohibitive for it to be viable commercially. Another notable drawback is the lack of a Grav Deck; the Scout can only produce gravity through acceleration which requires large amounts of fuel.
However, there are also numerous benefits to the Scout design. The first is its tiny emergence signature which is difficult to detect, making the ship ideal for reconnaissance and surprise raids.[3][4] The second is that it takes only 80% of the normal time required to quick-charge a Scout over an average-sized JumpShip. The third is that the docking collar is reinforced, allowing the Scout to thrust at 0.1 Gs acceleration even with a DropShip attached, provided that the DropShip is less than 25,000 tons in mass; without a DropShip, the Scout can accelerate at 0.2 Gs. The fourth is that the Jump Sail requires only 90% of the time to unfurl/furl compared to a larger sail and is less susceptible to rips and other forms of damage.
The Scout features up-to-date medical and recreation facilities and notably comfortable quarters for 17 crew and an additional aerospace pilot. The bridge is quite modern by comparison to larger vessels. Finally, it is equipped with backup generators that can power the life support system for three months if the main fusion power plant fails.
Armament[edit]
These vessels do not, by default, possess any weapons. It has a single small craft bay that can support Small Craft of up to 150 tons. If absolutely necessary the vessel can use this bay to accommodate a single aerospace fighter, but the Scout is generally better served by the Inner Sphere custom of not attacking Jumpships.
Cargo[edit]
Depending on the exact variant and subtype, the Scout can carry up to 450 tons of cargo in the cargo section. Other sources suggest it typically carries 900 tons of spare parts and has 116.5 tons of regular cargo space.
Variants[edit]
Numerous "minor" variants of the Scout exist.[5]
Although they all share the general characteristics of a tiny 273-meter long JumpShip with a single Docking Collar, different sources suggest a different mass for the Scout class and other minor differences; these might well be minor subvariants.
- 75,000 ton version with 121 heat sinks, unspecified cargo capacity (if any) (AeroTech)
- 79,000 ton version with 121 heat sinks, cargo capacity 450 tons (DropShips and JumpShips: ComStar Intelligence Summary)
- 79,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 450 tons (BattleSpace rulebook)
- 90,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 26 tons (Technical Readout: 3057)
- 90,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 1,036.5 tons (Technical Readout: 3057 Revised)
- Earlier rules from BattleSpace said that DropShips require one Hardpoint for every 60,000 tons (or fraction thereof) of mass for docking, which meant by extension that very large DropShips were not allowed to dock with the Scout as it has only a single Hardpoint. This ruling has been superseded implicitly by AeroTech 2, which did not include this rule anymore, and it was finally explicitly made obsolete in TechManual.
Quetzalcoatl[edit]
Quetzalcoatl-Scout-class: One notable variant of the Scout class is a refit that was first devised in 2786.[6] It exchanges the docking collar for fighter cubicles, thereby enabling the ship to act as a fighter support carrier at the cost of its DropShip carrying capability. The first ship to undergo such a refit was the Capellan Confederation's eponymous Quetzalcoatl, after it had suffered crippling damage to its docking hardpoint in an enemy boarding attempt. The refit proved successful and several other ships have been refitted in this way. The Quetzalcoatl-subclass of the Scout is now considered a class unto its own.
See Also[edit]
Gallery[edit]
Original Scout from DropShips and JumpShips: ComStar Intelligence Summary
Scout from TRO:3057
Image of variant Quetzalcoatl from TRO:3026 revised
References[edit]
- ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 187, "Magistracy of Canopus"
- ↑ AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 264
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3057, p. 94, "Scout"
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, p. 92, "Scout"
- ↑ DropShips and JumpShips: ComStar Intelligence Summary, p. 16
- ↑ Master Unit List: "Quetzalcoatl-Scout JumpShip (Standard)", ("Date Introduced")