Z-Drive

The Z-Drive, or lifters, a TL–8+ gravity control based technology used as a Maneuver Drive in Starships, and as a motive thrust system in vehicles.

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Please refer to the following AAB Library Data articles for further information:

• Starship
  • FTL
  • NAFAL (STL)
• Starship Drives
  • G-Drive
  • HEPlaR
  • J-Drive
  • N-Drive
  • Rocket Drive
  • Z-Drive
• Jump Drive
  • Jump Drive Key Resources
    • Lanthanum
    • Zuchai Crystal
  • Jump Drive Lore
    • Jump Bridge
    • Jump Damper
    • Jump Dimming
    • Jump Drive History
    • Jump Projector
    • Jump Space
    • Misjump

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Description (Specifications)

Lifters are anti-gravity hull plates that negate local gravity and provide a limited ability to change location. Lifters produce only a limited lateral movement vector and are not suited to long distance travel on a world. Lifters have an effective horizontal top speed of 50 kph. Lifters operate optimally within 1D of a gravity source; they are ineffective at distances beyond 1D.

Lifters do not provide thrust and so cannot physically lift a craft. Instead, they neutralize most of the gravitational attraction of a world (approximately 99% of gravitation force, beyond which power use becoming prohibitive). Usually Lifters are used only as an adjunct to the ship's thrusters (M-Drive or G-Drive). By neutralizing most of a world's gravitational field, a ship with only 1-G of thrust can still escape the world's gravity well.

History & Background (Dossier)

Z-Drives become commonplace by the TL:10-12 technological epoch. Earlier models can be notoriously unreliable. Higher technology models are vastly more capable.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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.

• Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Fire, Fusion, & Steel (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 75.
• David Golden, Guy Garnett. Fire, Fusion & Steel (Imperium Games, 1997), 65.
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 323-327.
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science