Rapier Carrier Conversation Challenge

[Alan Grant]

Handbook: House Liao gives us the Andryusha Bombardment Frigate. A modification of the Fed Suns Rapier Patrol Destroyer, some of which were captured by the Capellans in the '57 offensive.

Three vessels were captured and converted to the frigate. But the fluff notes...

Exercises with the Dynasty Guard have shown her to be
susceptible to air attack, and though Nikita is barely two months
from leaving dock, the Liao navy design bureau is contemplating
attempting a carrier conversion on the third Rapier hull—the former
FSS Duladier—or simply purchasing a dedicated carrier hull to
support the three-ship Andryusha division.

I would love to see what this would look like. So I'd like to pose a challenge....design a 8,500 ton aircraft carrier; the rapier hull conversion. All modern, even experimental technologies allowed. Shore bombardment/fire support is not a concern, any weaponry should be self-defense oriented (especially defense against attack by Arrow IV missile-loaded aerospace fighters, or even capital missiles). Cruising speed should be at least 3, but faster is better. The ability to carry at least 1 VTOL (pilot search and rescue, personnel transfers and other utility needs that can't be filled by an ASF or conventional fighter) is a plus but not a strict requirement. No fluff required, the TRO data is enough. The main priority is carrying and adequately supplying as many aerospace or conventional fighters as possible.

I might (with the creator's permission and proper credit attributed to the creator) use it in a BT non-canon game I'm part of.

Anyone up for it?

[Dragon Cat]

TAG maybe later

[truetanker]

You want a true flat top or just a mod to run VSTOL convents from?

TT

[Alan Grant]

I'm not sure I understand the difference. If I take your question to mean a total conversion to a carrier, then flat top. If by mod you mean "take the rapier and tweak it a little but keep some combat destroyer traits" then that's not what I'm looking for. If I'm misunderstanding the question I'll have to clarify.

The only similarity it must have to the Rapier is that it is 8,500 tons.

I'm kinda being strict on the weight point because I'm thinking, in a non-canon design sense, it could also be something adopted by the Fed Suns, deployed on their modified Mammoth dropships that carry 2 Rapiers. It could later be fluffed as a design adopted by the Fed Suns deployed in the same way. So the design could ultimately work with 2 factions, not just one, I like that.

[truetanker]

Lemme simplefy more:

Flattop meaning strip the superstructure to one side and allowing a runway landing strip the length of the ship.

Or

Modify to allow VSTOL to land like a heliopad where one or more turrets where located, but keep the center superstructure as is.

If the first option is what you want, then begin by stripping every weapon and turret armor, including turret weight off. As well as the gunners weight. Leaving only what you want. If by second option, you'll only need to remove X-amount of turret, turret armor, turret weight and associated gunners.

Both are easy to do, after all they are just numbers. Consolidate this number and cargo tonnage as what you can use for fighterbays and at least 1 elevator plus heliopad / runway tonnage needed.

TT

[Alan Grant]

First option. flattop. Move/remove superstructure, take the turrets off, everything. But it can go farther than even that, the engine could be changed for example, all options on the table. We might be fluffing this as a conversion but I guess its really building a new support vehicle from scratch.

[truetanker]

Well the Andryusha is stated to having ER PPCs in turret #3, and a Helipad.... it is your design.

I'd keep the same speed and engine, just up the antie.

[edit] So by dropping turret 3, 22 Heat Sinks, Armor, structure, weapons and the like, we have 2 Helipads and able to use the Cappie VSTOL conventionals, such as the Boeing Jump plane, any ASF with VSTOL.

TT

[Alan Grant]

How many conventionals or ASFs would it be able to carry total in that instance? Since you are doing the math .....

[Dragon Cat]

If I was going to go for something like that I would go with a VTOL Carrier instead of a Proper Carrier forget a runway modify it with a pair of helipads and a big hanger

[Alan Grant]

I do find that option interesting and worth discussing, but it really isn't the intent of this challenge. Looking for that flat top, that traditional aircraft carrier look that most people imagine when asked to think of an aircraft carrier.

[truetanker]

My books are packed away, but by removing Turret #3 and stuff, you can fit a good Squadron or two of Boeing Jump fighters.

TT

[Alan Grant]

Reviving an old topic. Other than some discussion this didn't really go anywhere and I'd still like to see what the end result might look like when building a 8,500 ton "flat top".

Kinda hoping I might find someone who is interested in a challenge.

[DarthMetool]

If I had the stats for this, I'd give it a shot.  Not shelling out $35 just to do that, though.

[maxcarrion]

Somewhat inspired by this topic I created the Imagineer an 8500T submersible light vehicle carrier with 8 VTOL, 6 Conventional Fighters and 22 other vehicles - it could easily be converted to carry as many as 44 Conventional Fighters/VTOLs launching off it's 2 helipads just by switching the vehicle bays.  With over 900T of cargo capacity and a fusion engine (so no fuel for the carrier) spare airframes are certainly a possibility.

http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=51927.0

[Colt Ward]

Alan,

You do get into the difference between a helipad vs a carrier deck.  IIRC the carrier deck requires at least 3 hexes for operation but 5 is the best for regular use.  Your conversion should look something like a old WWII Essex class cruiser which took cruiser hull during the building and removed the planned infrastructure.  One of the ways you can tell the old conversions from purpose-built designs because the gaps between the hull and the deck.  It was the hangar space, the gap between the topside hull deck and the built on flight deck.