I have made many versions of the Lion over the past months, and I have a passion as well for real world logistics, due in part that I work in the logistics field, and I have tried to come up with a dropship that can be build to a basic configuration with the cargo decks modular in nature, in essence an Omni-DropShip as far as the cargo capacity.
The versions I have made all have purpose built, or fixed cubicles for a single type of vehicle....but with real world military logistics, being able to swap out cubicles from being a BattleMech carrier to a vehicle or infantry carrier to meet the needs of transporting combat units between worlds would be something the SLDF would love.
I have come up with a few basic modular cubicles to fit the fluff, such as:
Advanced Light Vehicle Bay can accommodate the following:
- One vehicle up to 50 tons (including crew)
- Two vehicles up to 25 tons each (including crews)
- Weighs 50 tons
Advanced Heavy Vehicle Bay can accommodate the following:
- One vehicle up to 100 tons (including crew)
- Two vehicles up to 50 tons each (including crews)
- Weighs 100 tons
Advanced BattleMech Bay can accommodate the following:
- One BattleMech up to 100 tons (including pilot and technician)
- Two BattleMechs up to 35 tons each (including 2 pilots and 2 technicians)
- Weights 150 tons
Advanced Ultra-Light Mech Bay can accommodate the following:
- Four Ultra-Lights massing 5 tons each (including 4 pilots and 1 technician)
- Two Ultra-Lights massing 10-15 tons each (including 2 pilots and 1 technician)
- Weighs 50 tons
Advanced Infantry Bay can accommodate the following:
- One Foot Infantry Platoon of 32 Soldiers
- One Battle Armor Squad of 4 Battle Armors (including 4 pilots and 1 technician)
- Weighs 10 tons
Advanced Aerospace Fighter Bay can accommodate the following:
- One Fighter up to 100 tons (including pilot and technician)
- One Small Craft up to 100 tons (including crew)
- Weights 150 tons
Advanced Heavy Transport Bay can accommodate the following:
- One Small Craft up to 200 tons (including crew)
- One Super-Heavy Unit (Mech or Vehicle) up to 200 tons (including crew)
- Weights 200 tons
Regarding the Ultra-Light Mechs, they are based on the versions I posted that use the standard mech design rules, and I also have increased the number of Infantry at the squad
level from 7 infantry to 8 infantry (a bone to my old go to Renegade Legion). The infantry bay is designed for 32 conventional troops or 4 battle armor, use the base 10 ton module and it will fit into the standard fittings/hookups, the old go to for standardization.
Now the choice for my mad creation is the Lion, as I love the cargo capacity, and it always bugged me with the cannon capacity being so....light, with a thrust profile of 4/6, this would make a great carrier to meet the needs of raiding, low-level conflict and support initial invasion landings....speed, armor, weapons and cargo capacity, in my opinion makes for a winning transport.
LION (TACTICAL STARLIFT)
Type: Military Spheroid
Use: Tactical Starlift
Tech: Star League
Introduced: 2595
Mass: 7,300 tons
Battle Value: ???
Dimensions
Length: 92 meters
Width: 92 meters
Height: 95 meters
Fuel: 210 tons (6,300)
Tons/Burn-day: 1.84
Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Heat Sinks: 113 (226)
Structural Integrity: 14
Armor
Nose: 230
Sides: 200
Aft: 185
Cargo
Bay 1: Cargo (1,500 tons) 2 Doors
Bay 2: Cargo (1,500 tons) 2 Doors
Bay 3: Cargo (1,225 tons) 1 Door
Escape Pods: 10
Life Boats: 0
Crew: 9 Officers, 31 Enlisted, 9 Gunners, 1,152 Bay Personnel (maximum)
Ammunition: 144 rounds LRM 20 ammunition (24 tons), 192 rounds LRM 15 ammunition (24 tons), 180 rounds SRM 6 ammunition (12 tons), 288 rounds AMS ammunition (24 tons)
Notes: Equipped with 45.5 tons of standard armor
Weapons Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Type Short Medium Long Extreme Class
Nose (65 heat)
3 ER Large Laser 4 (39) 4 (39) 2 (24) -- Laser
3 ER Med Laser
2 LRM 20 + Art IV 3 (32) 3 (32) 3 (32) -- LRM
(48 rounds)
2 AMS (72 rounds) 1 (10)* -- -- -- PD
FL/FR (65 Heat)
3 ER Large Laser 4 (39) 4 (39) 2 (24) -- Laser
3 ER Med Laser
2 LRM 20 + Art IV 3 (32) 3 (32) 3 (32) -- LRM
(48 rounds)
2 AMS (72 rounds) 1 (10)* -- -- -- PD
AL/AR (48 Heat)
2 LRM 15 + Art IV 2 (24) 2 (24) 2 (24) -- LRM
(64 rounds)
2 Large P-Laser 3 (30) 2 (18) -- -- Pulse
2 Medium P-Laser
2 SRM 6 (60 rounds) 2 (20) -- -- -- SRM
2 AMS (72 rounds) 1 (10)* -- -- -- PD
Aft (48 Heat)
2 LRM 15 + Art IV 2 (24) 2 (24) 2 (24) -- LRM
(64 rounds)
2 Large P-Laser 3 (30) 2 (18) -- -- Pulse
2 Medium P-Laser
2 SRM 6 (60 rounds) 2 (20) -- -- -- SRM
2 AMS (72 rounds) 1 (10)* -- -- -- PD
*: Against missiles only
I am also trying to come up with additional industrial modules, such as a medical modules with recovery beds, logistics support module to turn the Lion into a mobile repair facility for the attached mechs and vehicles along with fabrication machinery, evacuation transport, command facilities, industrial production for ores and fuels.
If anyone wants to post their ideas for these modules, by all means please do.
As always I am looking for feed back and your ideas for this and any other ships you modify or design from the ground up.