Question about people/troop transport

[Printimus]

A Retaliator Cargo Bay is longer than an Ursa Rover and the forward bay should fit one of those. (I have driven one under my Tali.) The rear bay should be too narrow for an Ursa but wide enough for a Cyclone. Of course since the Tali has to be reworked before it can be made modular and the Cyclone isn't ion game this is entirely speculation at this point. :slight_smile:

Based on the size of the bays and the stated size of the cyclones the rear cargo bay should be very close to being able to carry 2. The Front bay should also be able to carry two. From a lore standpoint, this should be possible or there is little point in the Drop Ship module for the Tali. :slight_smile:

Based on the capacity of dropships, a squad should be 6 members. A Platoon is likely to be 2 rifle squads, a heavy weapons squad, a command group (Best guess on the command group Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant, Corpsman, and Comms/Fire Support NCO.) and a sniper team (Sniper and Spotter). Using the Tumbril TR, and presuming the measurements are correct, that would mean 2 Tumbril TR in the rear bay of each of the two carrying troops, 3 Tumbril TR and 2 Dragon Fly in the third Retaliator.

Platoon Sergeant and Sniper team gets a bike, everyone else goes Rat Patrol style. :slight_smile:

And none of the Hull Series makes a decent dropship. :slight_smile:

This is assuming the tali cargo bay drops down like the connie's does.... Which we dont know if it will or not.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Using the Tumbril TR, and presuming the measurements are correct, that would mean 2 Tumbril TR in the rear bay of each of the two carrying troops, 3 Tumbril TR and 2 Dragon Fly in the third Retaliator. . .

And none of the Hull Series makes a decent dropship. :slight_smile:

The Tumbril is 5M tall. I don't think it can fit in the Tally. I think it would be great if it does, but as you say we need to see the rework.

Tanks don't usually get moved by anything one could call a drop ship. They usually get toted about by cargo craft like a C-17. I doubt there is a safe way to drop armor into a combat zone--that's just Hollywood at its worst. Usually you need to drive it in.

Love your calculations though. It's great to see this kind of theorycrafting.

 

[Richard Bong]

This is assuming the tali cargo bay drops down like the connie's does.... Which we dont know if it will or not.

That was how it was described. However a major difference with the Retaliator, both bays will have to be emptied into the elevator area due to the gear placement and the intakes on the back of the Tali.

 

[Richard Bong]

The Tumbril is 5M tall. I don't think it can fit in the Tally. I think it would be great if it does, but as you say we need to see the rework.

Tanks don't usually get moved by anything one could call a drop ship. They usually get toted about by cargo craft like a C-17. I doubt there is a safe way to drop armor into a combat zone--that's just Hollywood at its worst. Usually you need to drive it in.

Love your calculations though. It's great to see this kind of theorycrafting.

The Cyclone is 3 meters tall according to the specs. The Ursa is 3.5m tall. The current Spec sheet though has the Cyclone as 6 meters long and the bays are not long enough for 2, if that number is accurate.

I was definitely not suggesting tanks, especially not the Tonk. LOL. The Tonk doesn't look like it fits in the Idiris Hangar.

 

[Ammorn]

...And none of the Hull Series makes a decent dropship. :slight_smile:

Until they add the mass troop transport cargo pods...

 

[Ammorn]

...I doubt there is a safe way to drop armor into a combat zone--that's just Hollywood at its worst. Usually you need to drive it in...

You can airdrop tanks, but you need a big airplane and some huge parachutes. I think generally they're driven in after being flown nearby or such.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

...huge parachutes

Fingers crossed for atmosphere then.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

You can airdrop tanks, but you need a big airplane and some huge parachutes.

Only very small tanks. There has never been a US plan to airdrop main battle tanks because the infrastructure needed for them, especially including fuel, but also engineers, etc., is too much to provide without supply lines. We don't know what the fuel requirement will be for the Novas yet, so no help guessing about whether dropping them into battle is a feasible notion.

 

[Printimus]

That was how it was described. However a major difference with the Retaliator, both bays will have to be emptied into the elevator area due to the gear placement and the intakes on the back of the Tali.

weird

 

[Richard Bong]

Until they add the mass troop transport cargo pods...

LOL.
Still not a good dropship, unless you are dropping the containers from orbit.

 

[Richard Bong]

weird

There is room, but you have to load the forward bay from the rear and the rear bay from the front.
Unload one bay at a time, or face a traffic jam. :)

Also not something you can drive on in a hurry, it does take a little maneuvering to make the corner and line up.

 

[Richard Bong]

Only very small tanks. There has never been a US plan to airdrop main battle tanks because the infrastructure needed for them, especially including fuel, but also engineers, etc., is too much to provide without supply lines. We don't know what the fuel requirement will be for the Novas yet, so no help guessing about whether dropping them into battle is a feasible notion.

Not a US Plan but the US did LAPES M551 Sheridans out of C-130s. The Soviet Union did parachute drop PT-76 tanks.

Everything is air droppable, at least once. :)

 

[Printimus]

There is room, but you have to load the forward bay from the rear and the rear bay from the front.
Unload one bay at a time, or face a traffic jam. :slight_smile:

Also not something you can drive on in a hurry, it does take a little maneuvering to make the corner and line up.

I will stick to the big birds for that, starfarer and connie.

 

[Sraika]

I will stick to the big birds for that, starfarer and connie.

The connie is a medium-sized bird.

 

[Printimus]

The connie is a medium-sized bird.

still bigger than most.

 

[Ammorn]

LOL.
Still not a good dropship, unless you are dropping the containers from orbit.

If the Hull ships could carry orbital drop pods with retro rockets and a backup parachute in place of the cargo pods, it would make a great drop pod carrier. Depending on the size of the cargo pods/containers it's intended to carry, then the drop pods could drop troops with vehicles.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

still bigger than most.

Especially the Taurus. Cargo! Get in my belly!

 

[Ammorn]

Not a US Plan but the US did LAPES M551 Sheridans out of C-130s. The Soviet Union did parachute drop PT-76 tanks.

Everything is air droppable, at least once. :slight_smile:

And every ship is a minesweeper once.

HWWMV pancakes, don't eat this...

 

[Shadow Reaper]

If the Hull ships could carry orbital drop pods with retro rockets and a backup parachute in place of the cargo pods, it would make a great drop pod carrier.

If you depend upon armor for its own mobility within relatively short ranges compared to their transports, but long ranges compared to troops on foot, the Hulls C is a likely candidate. You're then not planning to fly a transport into battle, and no one should want to do this. Even armored troop transports aren't really expected to go to battle--their cargo is too precious to risk for the sake of a few minutes surprise. MV-22's don't have guns to this day, despite folks have talked about putting a chain gun on the chin--the Pentagon resists because they don't want anyone tempted to fly them into a battle where they would just make a nice target. Instead, modern armor creates surprise by traveling relatively large distances in short periods of time--see General Schwartzkoff's brilliant surprise strategy during the first Gulf War. Operation Desert Storm really was a storm of surprise.

What the Hull C has though, is enough lift capability to set a Nova down (perhaps several), enough engine to get away unladen pretty quickly, and three turrets for defense in case the LZ is not as clear as one hoped. They're actually pretty cool ships. I know people are more attracted to containerless carriers like the BMM, but container carriers like the Hull series are actually modeled after the world's premier transport system--the intermodal carrier (has many other names) which is the steel box we put first on a semi at the factory, then use a gantry to put it on rail, then another gantry to put it on a container vessel. Believe it or not, that is a very evolved system of shipping, 6,000 year in the making. It works great and is the biggest reason why products can be shipped in bulk from around the world and not cost too much to afford when they arrive at their destination.

All of the Hull series are designed around the most advanced transport system in the world. Don't discount them just because the boxes are external. The boxes are external on semi trucks, rail and sea transports as well, and such transports are also a great way to ship a tank.

I have this arcane interest because we are designing such a system for use in space that should likewise afford optimum value for vast amounts of bulk freight.

 

[Printimus]

Especially the Taurus. Cargo! Get in my belly!

Basically.