Purcell class Express Boat Tender

Purcell class Express Boat Tender
Type: RV Carrier
Category	ACS
Size	1,000 Tons
Hull Configuration	Cylinder Hull
Streamlining	Unstreamlined Hull
Tech Level	TL–10
Engineering
Computer	Model/3
Jump	J-1
Maneuver	1 G
Armaments
Hardpoints	3
Accommodations
Staterooms	10
Low Berths	20
Personnel
Crew	6
High/Mid Passengers	0
Payload
Cargo	60 Tons
Fuel tank	150 Tons
Special features	600T ship bay
Construction
Construction Time	20 Months
Origin	Third Imperium
Price
Cost	MCr274.77
Statistics
Quick Ship Profile	RV-KU11
Universal Ship Profile	RV-A411132-000000-00000-0
Images
Blueprint	Yes
Illustration	Yes
Source
Canon	Published, canon design
Designer	Marc Miller
Design System	High Guard
Era	1105
Reference	Traders and Gunboats 11-15.

The Purcell class Express Boat Tender is a TL–11 specialized Tender.

Description (Specifications)

Constructed using a type 1000 hull, it is fitted with H model drives, producing jump-1 capability and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage is 150 tons; jump requires 100 tons of fuel, but in insystem operation, the ship uses this tankage to refuel express boats instead. The standard bridge is complemented by a Model/3 computer and fire control for three turrets, plus communicator relay facilities. The ship has ten staterooms and twenty low berths.

The crew consists of six: a captain/pilot, navigator/medic, communications specialist, and three engineers. Three gunners may be added to the crew where necessary.

Additional slots for the crew are taken up by replacement xboat pilots awaiting missions. There is a sixty-ton cargo bay used for repair parts and replacement equipment. Three weapons turrets arm the ship sufficiently to take care of most situations. The major part of the ship (600 tons) is taken up by a cavernous ship bay. This area can accommodate four express boats or two scout/couriers with little or no problem.

The express boat tender costs MCr274.77 to construct, assuming no architect's fees (the design is standard and any costs have been amortized by the government) and a 10% discount for production in volume. Weapons costs have not been included in this price.

Image Repository

1. A typical Purcell class Express Boat Tender, one of the prototypical Express Boat Tenders.
   

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	1,000 tons. Tonnage: 1,000 tons. 14000 cubic meters. Dimensions: 60m long. 30m wide. 12m high.
2.	Crew	x6 crew. Crew. Six. Captain, pilot/navigator, communications specialist, three engineers. Provision for four xboat pilots.
3.	Performance	Propulsion: Jump-1 1-G acceleration Power Plant: Standard Undeclared-EPs Agility: Low Performance: 1-G. Jump-1. Standard power.
4.	Electronics	Model/3 computer.
5.	Hardpoints	x10 hardpoints.
6.	Armament	The normal weapons fit-out for it is: The armament of an express boat tender varies - nearly any type of gun may be placed in the ship's turrets. The turret arrangement, however, is a constant. One pop turret is mounted aft, and can conceal itself in the deck when necessary; two turrets forward are mounted on tracks, and can he moved to whatever part of the ship need protection.
7.	Defenses	Typically, no defenses are equipped.
8.	Craft	Four express boats or two scout/couriers.
9.	Fuel Treatment	Fuel skimming and purification.
10.	Cost	The express boat tender costs MCr274.77 to construct, assuming no architect's fees (the design is standard and any costs have been amortized by the government) and a 10% discount for production in volume. Weapons costs have not been included in this price.
11.	Construction Time	20 months to build, 16 months in quantity.
12.	Comments	Standard cargo capacity amounts to 60.0 tons. Special Features: Unstreamlined. Heavy duty communications banks. Fuel and maintenance facilities for xboats.

Ship Interior Details

The most striking interior detail for the express boat tender is the ship bay. It measures 40 meters by 28.5 meters by 12 meters; this twelve meter dimension can be expanded to 24 meters through the simple expedient of leaving the ship bay doors open. Any ship or group of ships that can meet this dimensional requirement, up to a total of 600 tons, can be carried by the tender through jump space. Solid frame brackets within the bay are used to secure any ships or cargo to prevent damage while under acceleration. The entire ship bay, with the door closed, can be pressurized to allow access to the exteriors of any ships or boats carried within while avoiding the interfering bulk of vacc suits.

The forward end of the ship bay connects via a large port to the cargo bay of the ship. This cargo bay (of 60 tons capacity) carries consumables for the tender and to replace food and consumables when resupplying express boats.

Low berths for medical cases and spare pilots are situated adjacent to the cargo bay. Also on the cargo level are an electronics repair shop and a machine shop.

The fuel level contains tankage for the ship and for the refuelling of express boats. An external fuel probe allows fast refuelling of express boats without taking them into the ship bay or requiring crew to don vacc suits. A fuel lab on the tankage level monitors fuel quality. The lowest level of the ship is the drive deck with all jump drives, maneuver drives, and the main power plant. An air lock allows access to the exterior from this end of the ship.

Note the two lift shafts which run the length of the ship. The duplication allows faster access when one shaft is already in use, and provides damage control in the event of combat or disaster.

The bridge deck, located extreme forward, contains crew quarters and the controls for the ship. The bridge itself includes a bay window providing visual scanning of the ship bay doors and an overhead view. Surrounding the bridge are individual crew staterooms (capable of double occupancy when necessary). A communal fresher facility (location 12) allows more room in each stateroom, and decreases total costs for the ship.

History & Background (Dossier)

The express boat system would not work without the express boat tender. These tenders, stationed in each system that express boats stop at, serve two purposes. First, they tend express boats, recovering them when they arrive, refueling them and repairing minor problems, and then sending them on their way. Second, they serve as a relay station between the planetary surface based message center and the express boat itself. Messages are forwarded to the tender for transmittal to the xboat just before it leaves for the next star system.

Express boat tenders are encountered anywhere that xboats may be expected. High population, high technology systems will probably have several tenders operating in order to handle the flow of information. Express boat tenders are jump capable, and each may carry up to four xboats in its cavernous ship bay. As a result, the tenders can be found in fringe or off-route systems ferrying extra xboats to areas that need them. They also undertake recovery missions to pick up damaged xboats or boats which have misjumped to off-route systems.

Variant Models

A common variant of the X-boat tender is the dedicated version, which has no Jump drive and remains on-station in a single system. Major communications hubs usually have several dedicated tenders plus a handful of Jump-capable ones which can be reassigned as traffic volume dictates.

Three known model variations exist for the express boat tender.

Bulk Ore Carrier: Several examples of the ship were constructed with the large ship bay fitted to carry bulk ore from asteroid belts to surface refinery plants. The model has a limited use, because the system must have both a producing asteroid belt and a refinery plant established on an airless world.

Fuel Tanker: The Imperial Navy has acquired approximately one hundred and forty-four ships with the central bay converted to carry starship fuel. The total capacity of 750 tons of fuel makes the ship an ideal nursemaid to fighters patrolling frontier systems.

Corsair: The third variant of the tender is altogether unofficial. Express boat tenders are a prime target for hijackers. The tenders make excellent corsairs, especially if up-gunned. Typically, a tender will be surprised and hijacked by a band of thugs, often feigning shipwreck in order to attract the ship's attention. If they are lucky, the tender will have with it a scout/courier or a couple of xboats, which are then used to make the tender look more realistic when it plies the space lanes. The large ship bay allows most smaller ships to be enveloped and then boarded at the pirate's leisure.

When encountered as a corsair the triple turrets have weapons installed, and the crew may number 20 (with double occupancy) or more (with additional quarters installed). The ship bay permits cargo storage, concealment of smaller raiding craft, or an uploading area for small captured vessels.

Selected Variant Types & Classes

35 Representative Carrier (RV) Classes

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

Civilian Ship - Freighter - Carrier - Type RV Carrier

A

• Aurora class Multimission Clipper

B

• Brown class Jump Ship

C

• Clii Argu class Common Transport
• Conrad class Towing Vessel
• Corporate class Range Carrier

D

• Deneb class Modular Starship
• Distribution class Commercial Carrier
• Dwarf class Starport Lift Tug

E

• Endeavor class Ship Transporter

G

• Ghost Galleon class Carrier Liner

H

• Heyan Rose class Freight Tractor
• High Liner class Bulk Freighter

I

• Inthe class Modular Cutter

K

• K'Slice class Attacker Tender
• Kalaron class Assault Scout

L

• Leander class Space Tug

M

• Maggart class Clipper
• Marius class Ship Transporter
• Modular Cutter

N

• Nirvana class Modular Dropship

O

• Oukhaha class Bulk Hauler
• Owatarl class Tender

P

• Planetoid Hauler class Cargo Ship
• Purcell class Express Boat Tender

R

• Revolver class Modular Liner
• Roca Maestro class Modular Ore Hauler

S

• Sagacity class Bulk Freighter
• Sao class Heavy Merchant
• Smeeppi class Carrier

T

• Taorl class Riftliner
• Three Sisters class Heavy Jump Transport

W

• Wingtruck class Interface Craft
• WP-768 class Jump Shuttle

Y

• Yedidah class Fleet Tender

Z

• Zahzicih class Q-ship

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 Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Traders and Gunboats (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 11-15. (Pg. 13 Purcell mention)
• Gary L. Thomas. The Travellers' Digest 01 (Digest Group Publications, 1985), .
• Joe Fugate, Gary L. Thomas. The Early Adventures (Digest Group Publications, 1988), IFC,10.
• Charles E. Gannon. Hard Times (Game Designers Workshop, 1991), 81.
• J. Andrew Keith. Letter of Marque (Cargonaut Press, 1998), 31.
• Jon F. Zeigler. First In (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), 41,42-43.
• Michael Taylor. The Forgotten War (QuikLink Interactive, 2004), 29.
• Martin Dougherty. Scout Ships (Avenger Enterprises, 2007), 14,16.
• Author & Contributor: FarScout275