Z-Drive
The Z-Drive, or Lifter, is a gravity control based technology used as an adjunct to a Maneuver Drive in starships, and as a motive thrust system in vehicles.
- It is first developed at TL:7-9 with most sophont societies producing capable prototypes by TL–8.
- It is also referred to as "ContraGravity Lifter", or a "CG-Lifter".
- It is a kind of Ship Equipment.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
Lifters are anti-gravity, or "null-grav" modules that effectively negate local gravity and provide a limited ability to change location. Lifters operate optimally within 1D of a gravity source; they are ineffective at distances beyond 1D (operating at about 1% efficiency). Lifters are able to transform some of their lift into sidewise motion thru a bias in the field, but produce only a limited lateral movement vector and are not suited to long distance travel on a world. They are a backup motion provider primarily used to adjust location (they can move a ship slowly across a world surface), can be used for very slow ascent to and descent from orbit, and can raise a ship off the ground before engaging maneuver or gravitic drives. Lifters have an effective horizontal top speed of about 50 kph under most circumstances, though improvements with increasing technology can sometimes produce slightly higher bias-velocities. [1][2]
Early CG-Lifters do not provide thrust or motion, 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 becomes prohibitive). Early protypes of the technology sometimes will only negate partial gravitational attraction, lessening weight (but not negating it entirely). Usually, Lifters are used only as an adjunct to the ship's main impulse or reaction drives. By neutralizing most of a world's gravitational field, a ship with only 1.0g of thrust can still escape the world's gravity well. [3]
Lifters are normally installed as a hull component in vessels, drawing minimal levels of energy from a power source.
STL Drive Specifications[edit]
STL Drive Specifications (Starship Propulsion) Category Specifications Remarks Name Z-Drive Z-Drives only work within a planetary gravity well. Drive Type Lifter A gravitic control technology. Velocity ~ 50 kph TBD Duration TBD TBD Hazards TBD TBD Physical
Constraints1.0 diameter from gravity source (= 1.0 Radius above a world surface) Geometry TBD TBD Levels TBD TBD Entry TBD TBD Exit TBD TBD Fuel Electrical Power TBD Resource
RequirementsTBD TBD Inventor TBD TBD Characteristics TBD TBD
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Z-Drives become commonplace by the TL:10-12 technological epoch. Earlier models can be notoriously unreliable, or provide only partial-CG. Higher technology models are vastly more capable. [4]
TL:7-9:
Grav drive technology is still prototype in this technological epoch and still possesses many problems to be worked out. Shipborne Z-Drives often fall short and more capable and reliable drives are mostly used except under niche conditions where the Z-Drive might possess local advantages.[5]
TL:10-12:
The technology is made practical by this technological epoch and it becomes ubiquitous across the worlds and systems of Charted Space and a default ship component in spacecraft and starcraft. Air/rafts and G-carriers begin to replace aircraft in many roles on worlds that can afford them.[6]
TL:13-15:
Advanced gravitic technology becomes even more capable allowing for speeders (...grav-aircraft hybrids) and even planet to satellite grav transports. Grav technology still falls short of allowing complete intersystem transport.[7]
Library Data Referral Tree[edit]
Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
- NAFAL (STL) - (Not As Fast As Light) / (Slower Than Light)
- Light Speed (c)
- FTL - (Faster Than Light) - "Superluminal"
-
-
- (Field Propulsion Drives / Propellantless Drives)
- Z-Drive (Lifter / <1.0 D)
- G-Drive (Gravitic Drive / <10.0 D)
- M-Drive (Maneuver Drive/Thruster / <1000.0 D)
- N-Drive (NAFAL Drive / <1/8 ly)
- (Field Propulsion Drives / Propellantless Drives)
-
- N-Drive (NAFAL Drive / < 1/8 ly)
- Jump Space Drives
-
- J-Drive - Jump Drive (JD0: "0th" Order Jump Space Drive / > 100 D)
- H-Drive - Hop Drive (HD1: 1st Order Jump Space Drive / > 1000 D)
- S-Drive - Skip Drive (SD2: 2nd Order Jump Space Drive / > 10,000 D)
- L-Drive - Leap Drive (LD3: 3rd Order Jump Space Drive / > 100,000 D)
- B-Drive - Bound Drive (BD4: 4th Order Jump Space Drive / > 1,000,000 D)
- V-Drive - Vault Drive (VD5: 5th Order Jump Space Drive / > 10,000,000 D)
-
- D6-Drive - "Six Drive" (D6: 6th Order Jump Space Drive / > 100,000,000 D)
- D7-Drive - "Seven Drive" (D7: 7th Order Jump Space Drive / > 1,000,000,000 D)
- D8-Drive - "Eight Drive" (D8: 8th Order Jump Space Drive / > 10,000,000,000 D)
- D9-Drive - "Nine Drive" (D9: 9th Order Jump Space Drive / > 100,000,000,000 D)
-
- Conjectural Drives
-
- "Inertialess Drives":
- » Inertialess Drive ("IM -Drive")
- » Triplanetary Drive ("IT -Drive")
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
- 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.
- Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Starships (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 55-56, 63, 76-79, 100-109.
- ↑ Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 323.
- ↑ Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Starships (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 57.
- ↑ Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Fire, Fusion, & Steel (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 75.
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak
- ↑ Information provided to the library by Maksim-Smelchak