Black Lion

Revision as of 05:58, 23 April 2013 by BrokenMnemonic (talk | contribs) (→‎Named Vessels: moved detail to ship article, added Blood Drinker)
Black Lion TRO2750.jpg
Black Lion
Production information
Manufacturer Boeing Interstellar
Introduced 2691
Use Battlecruiser
Tech Base Star League
Cost 5,881,527,001 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 810,000 tons
Length 772 m
Sail Diameter 1.433 m
Fuel 1,000 tons
Burn Rate
Safe Thrust 1.5 g
Top Thrust 2.5 g
Sail Integrity 4
KF Drive Integrity 17
LF Battery No
Armament 18 x NAC/30s
8 x White Shark Missiles
6 x Barracuda Missiles
32 x NAC/20
Armor 841.5 tons of Lamellor Ferro-Carbide
DropShip Capacity 4
Crew 208
Grav Decks 2 - 65 and 85 meter diameter
Escape Pods/Life Boats 20
Heat Sinks 1837 Double Heat Sinks
Structural Integrity 75
BV (1.0) 247,597[1]
BV (2.0) 213,343[2]



Description

The Black Lion-class battlecruiser, named for former Director-General James McKenna's famous battlecruiser, was developed after it became apparent that the infamous Cameron class ships were not living up to their design specifications. Bypassing the usual procedure of accepting design proposals, the Star League Defense Force awarded a contract in 2689 to Boeing Interstellar for a modified version of the design it had submitted during the contract competition that led to the creation of Cameron. Despite the unusual nature of its genesis, the Black Lion exceeded all expectations and Boeing would build two per year for the next 31 years.

The Black Lion's three Carston Pegasus interplanetary engines generate almost twice as much thrust as those used on the Cameron Class. With less weight than the Cameron, the Black Lion became one of the quickest WarShips of its size, but the size and complexity of the engines cause an increase in engine breakdowns due to maintenance difficulties. The Black Lion's second important improvement over the Cameron is increased armor protection. The ship's flight deck can carry 18 heavy AeroSpace Fighters, and its four docking rings can handle the largest DropShips.

The Black Lions lived up to most of the admirals' expectations, leading battle fleets into action and easily dominating battles in the Periphery. However like many Star League era WarShips, Black Lions cannot cope with swarms of enemy fighters and this proved their undoing during the Great Houses' so-called Hidden Wars and against the drones surrounding Terra.

Armament

The most controversial aspect of the Black Lion is its choice of weapons. Instead of relying on energy weapons, the Black Lion mounts cannon and missiles as its primary weapons, four turrets carrying Scarsbrough 30 Series autocannons and two turrets capable of firing White Shark missiles. The battlecruiser also carries four turrets of smaller autocannon and six tubes firing the Barracuda missiles. The designers used only non-energy weapons so the ship could mount a smaller and lighter power system. The main drawback to this choice of weapons is that the ship must devote interior space to carrying ammunition.

Cargo

The Black Lion 63,700 tons of cargo split between an launch bays for 10 Small Craft and 18 Aerospace Fighters.

Variants

Less than a dozen Black Lions survived Operation Liberation to company the Exodus Fleet, but each has become prized by the Clans as Galaxy flagships. The Clans have made few changes, save for installing HarJel Hull Sealant technology and Lithium-Fusion Battery systems.

Named Vessels

Clan Blood Spirit
Clan Ghost Bear
Clan Jade Falcon
Clan Nova Cat
Clan Smoke Jaguar
Clan Star Adder
Clan Wolf
Clan Wolf-in-Exile
Com Guards
Free Worlds League
Pentagon Civil War Factions
Star League Defense Force
Word of Blake

See Also

Black Lion Ship Gallery

References

  1. AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 301
  2. Jihad Turning Points: Luthien, p. 17, "Black Lion" WarShip record sheet
  3. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 65, "Clan Ghost Bear Naval Assets"
  4. Era Report: 3052, p. 52
  5. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 267-268 "Fleet Advisory: Shiloh"
  6. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, pp. 108-109
  7. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 128, "Captured Ships"
  8. Hide and Seek (BattleCorps Scenario)
  • ComStar, p. 46
  • Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 119
  • Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, pp. 108-109
  • Technical Readout: 2750, pp. 136-137
  • Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 150-151
  • Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 148-149

Bibliography