Baton JumpShip (pony express design)

[Maingunnery]

I am trying to design a JumpShip that is optimized for pony express routes / command circuits.

Minimized the tonnage to reduced costs.
It has only one collar and the quirk Docking Arms, for fast transfer of dropships.
The automation will reduce supply usage and make uninhabited systems more appealing. But would also restrict this design in some ways, I would would fluff it as being limited to jumping between two fixed star system. Where the attached dropship would have to use an authorization code for its usage.

Code: [Select]

Baton Jumpship (Automated)
Mass: 55,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 2755
Mass: 55,000
Battle Value: 465
Tech Rating/Availability: D/E-F-F-F
Cost: 347,520,083 C-bills

Fuel: 100 tons (1,000)
Safe Thrust: 0
Maximum Thrust: 0
Sail Integrity: 3
KF Drive Integrity: 3
Heat Sinks: 81
Structural Integrity: 1

Armor
    Nose: 4
    Fore Sides: 4/4
    Aft Sides: 4/4
    Aft: 4

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (94.5 tons)       1 Door   

Ammunition:
None

Dropship Capacity: 1
Grav Decks: 0
Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  2 officers, 7 enlisted/non-rated

Notes: Equipped with
    1 Smart Robotic Control System (SRCS)
30.5 tons of standard aerospace armor.

Weapons:     Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
None




[Giovanni Blasini]

That really doesn't look bad.  Part of me wonders if an automated version of the Scout wouldn't be that much more money, or if it could be shoehorned down into 50,000 tons and be an automated Explorer class with an added collar, but that's just that nitpicky part of my brain, and as-is it works fine.

[Daryk]

This would totally work for a Command Circuit... when I hear "Pony Express", I think just enough tonnage for a Small Craft cubicle and a jump core... ;)

[Maingunnery]

In a fairly optimized route, could I assume a hour as the average time between jumps?
So disconnect (5 min), travel to next Baton JS (?? min), dock and jump (30 min).

[Lagrange]

In the rules, it depends on the size of the dropship and the safety margin you want.  I estimated 2 hours for safe use of large dropships.