Vehicle Designs, Part 11

Aircraft Carrier TL8

     The aircraft carrier is a common vessel in numerous wet navies.

  CraftID: Aircraft Carrier, TL8, Cr235,914,000 (not incl. aircraft)
     Hull: 6300/15750, Disp=4000, Conf=3SL, Armor=30B, Loaded=54716t,
           Unloaded=39317t
    Power: 7/14, Fission=210MW, Dur=20yrs
     Loco: 7/14, Twin Screw, Max Speed=65kph, Cruise=48kph
     Comm: Radio=Planetary
  Sensors: AllWeatherRadar=Planetary, RadarJammer=Continental,
           ActAudio=Dist, ActObjScan=Diff, ActObjPin=Diff, ActAudScan=Form,
           ActAudPin=Form
      Off: 6*6-barrel 20mm autocannon (300000rds), 4*HeavySAM Launchers
           (80 missiles)
      Def: -
  Control: Comp1*3, ElecLink*2500
    Accom: Crew=800, Small Staterooms*400, Env=basic env
    Other: Fuel=4.2kl, AircraftFuel=10000kl, AirOrdnanceMagazine=2760kl,
           Aircraft=30*40ton, 30*24ton, 10*20ton, 2*Elevators, 4*Catapults,
           ObjSize=Avg, EmLevel=Moderate

  Remarks: Since there is no design system (yet) for water vehicles, I was
forced to wing it.  The following values were used for ship components:

     Suspension: None
     Transmission: 2*tracked transmission of equal tech level
     Catapult: 1 ton per ton of largest aircraft to be launched,
               1kl/ton, Cr2000/ton.  Power ignored (lots of steam available)
     Elevator: 3*volume of largest aircraft to be moved (I used wings
               unfolded, but maybe folded would be a better assumption),
               0.5ton/kl, Cr2000/kl
     Hangar: Each aircraft allocated 1.3 times wing folded space, 150cr/kl
             (analagous to usual small craft requirements)
     Crew: What fit.  Starship rules don't work, and I haven't got a good
           idea of what all the thousands of sailors on a real aircraft
           carrier do.
     Environmentals: Power requirements of anything beyond basic environment
                     are too high to be considered.  I can't imagine galleys,
                      etc., taking up all the power needed for extended ls.

     Speed was chosen first, and then power plant size necessary to produce
it was calculated using a series of formulas from Mark's Mechanical Engineers
Handbook.  I've been assuming that a SL conf hull is needed, that armor 6 is
minimum to assure structural integrity, and that at least 1/3 of the total
volume must be above water.  (i.e. max wt in tons = 0.66*displacement in kl)
Any comments from a real naval architect would be appreciated. Hull form
coefficients were taken from a table based on my perception of the most
similar type of vessel listed.  I won't copy the formulas here, because you
eventually need a factor that comes off a chart, which I can't copy.
     I will eventually upload a few escorts and the air group.  I am working
under the assumption that STOL airframes are needed for carrier use, partly
because of the actual landing length available, and partly to account for
the more rugged airframe required for catapult launches and arrested landings.