Broadsword Class Mercenary Cruiser

[waldronate]

One possibility is to do away with the legs and make them restartable landing struts. Or would that be too much like the battletech ship?

Now thats a good Idea. The lander has the same AR (Armor rating) as the main ship. It would keep it out of the way of the main thrusters. However, it would have to complete the sphere rather than just attach to the outer hull; otherwise it would downgrade the hull to Unstreamlined.
All the vehicle bays would have to be up top otherwise they couldn't transfer to the drop ship.

Right, the idea was to have a "crater" in the top where the ship would sit. The smaller ship could function as the bridge for the larger or could just be dead weight.

One other thing that's an option with the older concept of cylindrical drop ships is to use the manueuver drives of them as aux drives for the main ship.

[ravells]

Ships quite often had two bridges, didn't they? The main bridge and (I think) the other one was called the 'battle bridge' or similar if the main bridge was damaged. I think the Enterprise in Star Trek had an arrangement like this as the main saucer bit could detach from the rest.

From a practical point of view - I guess the main bridge would be within the cruiser and the battlebridge would serve as the main bridge for the saucer as well as the battlebridge for the cruiser (while connected).

[ravells]

So something like this? Sorry about the spindly legs but I just used parts of a desklamp I modelled a while back. The bottom of the main compartment could act as an elevator for access to the ship.

[someguy]

So something like this? Sorry about the spindly legs but I just used parts of a desklamp I modelled a while back. The bottom of the main compartment could act as an elevator for access to the ship.

Ya know with the legs like that It remind me of the robot in the movie "Space Camp".

As for the Saucer section, A little more UFO, a little less Umbrella.

I'm Liking the lander being the top of the sphere, but its maneuver drive just doesn't look right to me. Although it enters atmo Top down, the armor acts as the heat shield, it flips over and lands belly down.

[ravells]

I like your saucer much better...consider it done! If we're agreed I'll progress to the deckplans then?

[someguy]

I like your saucer much better...consider it done! If we're agreed I'll progress to the deckplans then?

I believe we have the general layout isuess resolved. So, yes.

[Turgenev]

Even though I really have nothing to add, I just wanted to say that I've been enjoying this thread immensely. Keep up the great work.

[someguy]

Even though I really have nothing to add, I just wanted to say that I've been enjoying this thread immensely. Keep up the great work.

Cool!

You play TRAVELLER?!