Flying Craft of the Distant Fringe

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A listing of some of the more common flying and grav vehicles found within the Distant Fringe region.

Details / Specifications

Each vehicle has a basic description. This serves to give a general impression of its construction and performance. Details such as the internal layout are representative only – alternative layouts are very common.

  • The vehicles's dimensions are given and are used to provide a very general outline of its mass in starship displacement tons ("dTons"): this can also be used to determine how much internal space a vehicle uses if it is carried within a starship. Different versions of the same general type of vehicle will have different physical characteristics.
  • Performance details are generic: different models of of the same vehicle will have different characteristics. Different manufacturers will also compete with one another to produce the model with the "best" performance figures, often trading off aspects of the handling to gain advantages in performance or vice versa.
  • Internal cargo storage can differ greatly between different models of the same vehicle. Manufacturers often emphasise the larger cargo capacity of their particular model as a selling point.

Technological Level

The listed technological level is the lowest at which the particular vehicle may be constructed. If the same vehicle is built at a higher technological level, it will be more efficient, it is likely to be constructed from more advanced materials, and it may have an improved performance. It may also include additional items of equipment or upgraded environmental systems. Often a higher technology design exists which directly supersedes an earlier version.

See also Technology of The Distant Fringe.

Power and Fuel

Each vehicle has a power plant and carries a supply of fuel. Some vehicles utilise lighter-than-air technology. Most have internal combustion power plants using hydrocarbon fuel (typically a liquid such as gasoline or ethanol) to drive propellors, rotor blades or powerful fans – more advanced models may use electrical batteries or fuel cells. Other air vehicles use jets or rockets. It also includes vehicles that use gravitic technology.

Gravitic Components

The first experimental gravitic devices become available at TL 8, though their capabilities are very limited – by TL 9 gravitic technology is relatively commonplace and far more efficient.

TL Device Notes
TL 8 Lifters Early gravitic units that are typically built into hybrid vehicles with otherwise conventional features such as lift surfaces (wings) and thrust-generating engines.
Maximum Grav Altitude: meters. Maximum Grav Speed: typically around 5–10 kph.
TL 9 Lifter Plates Basic gravitic units capable of generating thrust, though with a low power-to-thrust ratio. Additional sources of thrust are generally built into the vehicle.
Maximum Grav Altitude: 1 Diameter. Maximum Grav Speed: typically around 25 kph.
TL 10 G-Drives
(Utilising Low Power Heavy Grav Modules) 		Bulky units capable of generating thrust, though with an average power-to-thrust ratio and a moderate maximum speed.
Maximum Grav Altitude: 10 Diameters. Maximum Grav Speed: hundreds of kph.
TL 12 G-Drives
(Utilising Low Power Light Grav Modules) 		Lightweight units capable of generating thrust, with a good power-to-thrust ratio and a high maximum speed.
Maximum Grav Altitude: 10 Diameters. Maximum Grav Speed: thousands of kph.

Cost

The listed cost for a vehicle represents the retail price from new: in some cases mass production of a vehicle and corporate marketing strategies create an artificially low price. Previously owned vehicles are likely to be significantly cheaper but are also likely to have minor faults, reliability issues, or perform less efficiently than a brand new model.

Aircraft

Aerostat Vehicles

An aerostat vehicle is an aircraft that utilises lighter-than-air principles to achieve flight.

Name TL Tonnage
Balloon TL 3 220 dTons
Medium Dirigible TL 4
Large Dirigible TL 5 7,500 dTons
Advanced Dirigible TL 7 2,700 dTons

Fixed Wing Aircraft

Name TL Tonnage
Primitive Glider TL 3
Early Aircraft TL 4
Basic Propeller Aircraft TL 5 3.5 dTons
Large Propeller Aircraft TL 5 46.6 dTons
Medium Passenger Jet TL 6
Large Passenger Jet TL 6
Executive Jet TL 7 10.9 dTons
VTOL Jet TL 7

Rotary Wing Aircraft

Name TL Tonnage
Light Helicopter TL 5 7.1 dTons
Autogyro TL 6 0.5 dTons
Large Helicopter TL 6 25.3 dTons
Utility Helicopter TL 6
Executive Helicopter TL 7 7.1 dTons
Tiltprop Aircraft TL 8

Grav Vehicles

Hybrid Grav Vehicles

Name TL Tonnage
Executive Liftcraft TL 8
Tiltprop Liftcraft TL 8
Enclosed Air/Raft TL 9 4.0 dTons
Jet Bike TL 9
Open Air/Raft TL 9 3.0 dTons

Light Grav Vehicles

Name TL Tonnage
G-Pallet TL 8
Grav Bike TL 10 0.3 dTons
Grav Belt TL 12 0.1 dTons

Grav Speeders

Name TL Tonnage
Compact Grav Car TL 10 1.5 dTons
Grav Car TL 10 2 dTons
Speeder TL 10 6 dTons
Sports Speeder TL 11 6 dTons
Advanced Speeder TL 12 5 dTons

Grav Sleds

A Grav Sled is any commercial grav vehicle designed to carry cargo or freight.

Name TL Tonnage
G-Carrier TL 10 6 dTons
G-Tractor TL 10 7 dTons
Box Floater TL 10 15 dTons
Flatbed Floater TL 10 5 dTons
G-Hauler TL 10 32 dTons
Heavy G-Hauler TL 11 70 dTons

History / Background

See also Ships of the Distant Fringe, Vehicles of the Distant Fringe.

References & Contributors / Sources

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