Mariner class Frame Carrier

Mariner class Frame Carrier
Distant Fringe vessel
Type: R Freighter
Category	BCS
Size	90,000 Tons
Hull Configuration	Dispersed Configuration Hull
Streamlining	Unstreamlined Hull
Tech Level	TL–11
Engineering
Computer	Model/5
Jump	J-2
Maneuver	1 G
Armaments
Hardpoints
Accommodations
Staterooms	290
Low Berths	60
Personnel
Crew	441
Officers	89
Enlisted	352
High/Mid Passengers	47
Low Passengers	60
Payload
Cargo	56,000 Tons
Fuel tank	19,800 Tons
Carried craft	5 50t lifeboats, 1 40t ships boat
Construction
Construction Time	52 Months
Origin	Distant Fringe
Price
Cost	MCr23,613.420
Architect fee	MCr236.134
Statistics
Universal Ship Profile	R–Q721252–090000–80000-0
Images
Blueprint	No
Illustration	Yes
Source
Canon	Unpublished, fan design
Designer	Ade Stewart
Design System	High Guard
Era	1105
Reference	Fan: Ade Stewart

The Mariner class Frame Carrier is a TL–11 mercantile Transport.

• Please also see: Ships of the Distant Fringe.

Description

The Mariner class Frame Carrier is a very large commercial Transport occasionally encountered along Star Lanes within the Distant Fringe region. It is classified as a Bulk Cargo Carrier and is constructed as a conventional design. Similar designs have been in use from the time the Distant Fringe was first settled.

Image Repository

1. A huge Mariner class Frame Carrier.
   

Basic Ship Characteristics

Following the Imperial Navy and IISS Universal Ship Profile and data, additional information is presented in the format shown here. The small craft factor indicates the number of squadrons (...of ten subcraft) carried on the ship. Tonnage on the universal ship profile is shown in kilotons (...thousands of tons) where necessary.

Basic Ship Characteristics
No.	Category	Remarks
1.	Tonnage / Hull	The Frame Carrier is constructed using a 90,000 dTon hull built in a dispersed structure configuration. The hull is unstreamlined and has no capability to perform atmospheric operations. The ship consists of two major sections: the main hull, containing all of the major components, and the load arms, a variable geometry framework that can be adjusted to fit around unusually shaped or very large cargoes, such as spacecraft. Individual sections of the main hull are divided by bulkhead walls. There are multiple airlocks located around the vessel. The interior (enclosed) cargo hold is accessed by large doors. The vessel is not capable of surface landings and risks catastrophic structural failure in significant gravity wells.
2.	Crew	Total Crew Complement: 441 x45 Command, x99 Engineering, x19 Gunnery, and x270 Service, of which 6 double up as flight crew for the vessel's intrinsic subcraft as required. In addition, the vessel carries x2 medics and up to x6 passenger stewards. Accommodations There are 290 Staterooms. 243 Staterooms are given over to crew quarters. The command crew have individual cabins: all other crew quarters are double occupancy. 47 Staterooms are available to passengers. There are 60 Low Berths. These are tended by the vessel's medical staff, assisted by properly trained stewards. Accessible areas of the hull are fitted with grav plates and inertial compensators and have full life support and environmental systems. There are internal monitoring and security systems throughout the vessel. Sections of the ship can be isolated in the event of an emergency. There are multiple Emergency Lockers.
3.	Performance	The vessel mounts a DeVoss-type Jump-2 drive, a Maneuver-1 drive, and a Power Plant-2, giving performance of Jump-2, 1-G acceleration, and producing 1,800 Energy Points. The ship has an agility rating of 0 and an emergency agility of 1. The internal fuel tankage is sufficient for one Jump-2 and gives the power plant 4 weeks duration. The engineering section has a main control room. Ladders, gantries and platforms give access to the machinery. The jump drive utilizes a hull grid: this extends into the variable geometry arms. The jump drive is fitted with a jump governor.
4.	Electronics	Adjacent to the bridge is a Model/5 Computer: the vessel has a backup Model/5 Computer. There are multiple workstations and control points throughout the vessel. The vessel is fitted with communications equipment and a standard sensor array. It is fitted with backup commo and sensor systems. It has a transponder unit that can be deactivated on command.
5.	Hardpoints	x900 hardpoints. The listed battery groupings are considered standard for the class. Alternative battery groupings may be designated for specific routes. There are 720 unused hardpoints and 720 dTons are set aside for fire control.
6.	Armament	The normal weapons fit-out for a Frame Carrier is: x80 triple Beam Laser turrets, grouped into eight batteries each of 10 linked turrets
7.	Defenses	The hull is unarmored. x100 triple Sandcaster turrets, grouped into ten batteries each of 10 linked turrets The vessel is not fitted with screens or other passive defensive systems.
8.	Craft	Flight Section x5 50-dTon Lifeboats. x1 40-dTon Ship's Boat. The subcraft are housed in dedicated interior hangers located at strategic points around the vessel: the hangers can be sealed and have a total volume of 377 dTons.
9.	Fuel Treatment	The vessel has internal fuel tankage of 19,800 dTons. The hull is not fitted with fuel scoops. The vessel is not equipped with fuel purification equipment.
10.	Cost	The basic cost of the vessel, complete with its complement of subcraft, is MCr29,516.775. If multiple examples of the design are ordered all of the ships in the production run qualify for a 20% discount, which reduces the price per unit to MCr23,613. The vessel and its subcraft are standard designs. Detailed architectural plans are widely available and no design fee is chargeable.
11.	Construction Time	205 weeks (52 months) as standard. Build times can be reduced by mass production and the efficiencies such processes generate, by increased financing, and by allotting additional yard resources and facilities to the construction contract.
12.	Comments	The total cargo capacity amounts to 56,000 dTons. The internal (enclosed) cargo hold equals 1,000 dTons. The external payload equals 55,000 dTons and is contained within the variable geometry arms: it is exposed to vacuum conditions while in transit and must be protected accordingly.

History & Background

The design is representative and a number of variants exist, particularly with regard to the allotted weapons systems, onboard electronics, and the fit out of internal spaces.

• Vessels of this type may be employed in the Recovery Trade.

Overburden

The Frame Carrier is capable of carrying "overburden" cargos: a payload of up to 65,000 dTons. The major limiting factor on overburdening a vessel is the capability of the ship's model/5 computer. If the total displacement tonnage of the vessel, including its overburden cargo, is 100,000 dTons or more, the computer cannot perform the calculations necessary to initiate a jump transition. The overburden payload increases the ship's displacement tonnage – to an upper limit of 100,000 dTons – but any degree of overburdening reduces its performance to jump-1 and 0.5G acceleration.

The practice of overburdening a ship places extreme stresses and strains on the internal equipment and dramatically increases the chances of a catastrophic failure.

Selected Variant Types & Classes

51 Representative Freighter (R) Classes

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Civilian Ship - Freighter - Type R Freighter

A

• Aspirant class Provincial Carrier
• Average Cargo Ship class Cargo Ship

C

• Carrack class Tramp Liner
• Carrus class Shuttle
• Conveyor class Heavy Freighter
• Crawm class Shuttle

D

• Dakaar class Freighter

E

• Empress class Bulk Carrier

F

• Fornorb class Heavy Merchant

G

• Garrett Durant class Cargo Hauler

H

• Haddox class Merchant Cruiser
• Hercules class Cargo Transport
• Hummingbird class Courier
• Hummock class Replenishment Ship

J

• Jack Driscoll class Bulk Freighter
• Jade Serpent class Fleet Support Vessel
• Jembyra class Recovery Boat

K

• KU1a Fetch class Launch
• Kyan Maru class Freighter

L

• Last Armada class Heavy Transport
• Leo class Ship's Boat
• Leviathan class Merchant Cruiser
• Liz Zhorka class Light Trader
• Logos Minos class Fleet Scout

M

• Magnadon class Provincial Merchant
• Mariner class Frame Carrier
• Mountain class Replenishment Ship

O

• Orowani Deep Space class Commercial Tender

P

• Panam Ajax class Logistics Transport
• Panther class Repair Vessel
• Pegasus class Bulk Cargo Carrier
• Pinnace
• Prosperity class Freighter

R

• Roca Maestro class Modular Ore Hauler

S

• Ship's Boat
• Shuttle
• Siyuihwye class Armored Trader
• Solostar class Far Trader
• Suluru class Mercantile Carrier
• Susa class Cargo Carrier
• Swift Dreams class Colonial Transport

T

• Three Sisters class Heavy Jump Transport
• Triad class Merchant
• Type AT class Freighter
• Type RAX class Protected Merchant
• Type TC(S) class Free Trader
• Type TI class Merchant
• Type TJ class Merchant

V

• Valiant Conveyor class Liberty Ship

W

• World class Transport

Z

• Zoe Barrett class Trader

References

This article has metadata.

This ship was originally designed using one of the Classic Traveller ship design rules: Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 12-23. Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. High Guard (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 20-36.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Author: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS