Uiderfowl

BARD PAPER: SARA9008

Uiderfowl Class Courier

In the Regency Navy, knowledge is power, and the ability to quickly transmit and convey information can mean the difference between a conflict averted, a conflict won and a conflict lost. The Type S6 Long Range Courier is designed with this maxim in mind - to transmit information as quickly as possible.

The Type S6 crams a Jump-6 drive and fuel tankage for two consecutive jumps into a standard Scout/Courier hull, allowing a twelve parsec journey to be completed in 15 days (a full day is allowed between jumps in non-emergency situations for diagnostics and routine maintenance on the jump drive). Fuel scoops and purification machinery allow a third jump to take place in as little as 12 hours (the remainder of the fuel can be processed while the ship is in j-space).

Naturally, the drive to extend the Type S6's range has led to some sacrifices. The ship carries no weaponry - even the hardpoint socket has been removed to fit in more fuel. The ship also has limited endurance in normal space, with only 22 G-turns (without jump fuel), the Type S6 is not expected to do much more than head directly to it's destination upon emerging into normal space. Only three crew are present - one maneuver officer also doubles as the ship's electronics officer, although there is a dedicated engineer on-board. Crew accommodations allow four a single passenger to be carried if required.

In times of conflict, the Type S6 is expected to jump into the outer system, far beyond reach of planetary defenses, and jump out after burst-tranmission of it's data cargo to Naval assets in-system.

The Type S6 (aka Uiderfowl, after a migratory bird found on Lysen) was designed by Fremantle Shipyards in 1197 in response to RFT-1195-110 (a Request For Tender issued by the Regency Navy in 1195). The first Uiderfowl was launched on 014-1199, and was commissioned into the Navy in 1200. After extended trials, the type entered regular service in 1201, and an extended production run is anticipated.

To date, 70 examples have been ordered: 22 of these are to be produced at Fremantle's Number Three yard on Jewell, the remainder will be manufactured under license throughout the Regency. The Uiderfowl is not exepected to be offered on the civillian starship market. A number of these will be conversions from existing Type S hulls, Fremantle Shipyards is preparing a conversion kit to assist manufacturers.

After entering regular service in 1201, eight examples of the Uiderfowl are currently in service. Two have been attached to the RQS, and are in service in Quarantine District 5A as part of RQS peacekeeping duties in The Islands.

VARIANTS

Althought no known variants are in service, Fremantle Shipyards is working on a number of variants which will be offered to the Navy. The Type S6-ELINT will feature an improved passive EMS array, as well as additional sensor suites and will be used to gather electronic intelligence in potentially hostile systems. The improved sensors comes at a cost of reduced flexibility - the S6-ELINT sacrifices fuel purification capabilities, instead relying on it's existing fuel tankage to jump directly into and out of target systems from a support base. Fremantle is also believed to be negotiating with Ling Standard Products Advanced Systems Division on Mora to produced an improved TL-16 version of the S6.

Uiderfowl Class Long Range Courier

General Data

Displacement: 100 tons	Hull Armor: 28
Length: 35 meters	Volume: 1400 m³
Price: 95.899 MCr	Target Size: S
Configuration: Wedge SL	Tech Level: 15
Mass (Loaded/Unloaded): 670.76 / 595.54

Engineering Data

Power Plant: 170 MW Fusion Power Plant (170 MW/hit), 1 year dur. (30 kl/yr)

Jump Performance: 6

Jump Fuel: 980 m³ Fuel for two jumps.

G-Rating: 2G (50 MW/G), Contra-Grav lifters (10 MW)

G-Turns: 22 (100.4 using jump fuel), 12.5 m^3 of fuel each

Maint: 22

Electronics

Computer: 3 x TL-15 Mod Fb Computers (1.1 MW each)

Commo: 1 x 1000 AU radio (inf, 20 MW), 1 x 1000 AU maser (inf, 0.6 MW)

Avionics: TL-10+ Avionics

Sensors: Passive EMS 150,000km folding array (5 hexes; 0.15 MW)
Ative EMS 480,000km (DF capable, 16 hexes, 25.0 MW)

ECM/ECCM: None

Controls: Bridge with 2 workstations, 1 other workstation

Armament

Offensive None

Defensive: None

Master Fire Directors: None

Accommodations

Life Support: Extended (0.28MW)

Grav Compensation: 6G (7 MW)

Crew: 3 (1 x Eng, 1 x Elec/Maneuver, 1 x Command/Maneuver)

Crew Accommodations: 2 x Small Staterooms (single/double occupancy, 0.001 MW)

Passenger Accomadation: None

Other Facilities: Fuel Scoop, purification machinery (1.00 MW), 26.43 hours to refine 881 m^3

Cargo: 4.7 m³ No Cargo Hatches.

Small Craft and Launch Facilities: None.

Air Locks: 1

Damage Tables

  
Surface

1:              Ant
2-3, 6-7:       Ant
10:             1: AL
18-19:          1-10: Ant

Internal

1:              1-18: Elec, 19-20: Hold
2-3:            1-2: Elec, 3-17: Qtrs, 18-20: Hold
4-15:           Hold
16-19:          1-10: Eng, 11-20: Hold
20:             Eng

Systems

Computer        3 x (2h)
AEMS            (2h)
SSR             2 x (2h)
LS              2H
ELS             1H
AG              1H
JD              1H
PP              1H
MD              (2h)
CG              (4h)
FPP             1H
All Others      (1h)