Hello all -
I was trying to design a better missile with the vehicle design
rules (plus the robot rules from old book 8), and I came up with the
following:
Bighorn class Robot Drone/Missile, TL 13
Item Pow(kw) Vol(ltrs) Wt(kg) Cost(Cr)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hull 0.007 tons,config 1AF, arm 1G - (100) 0.35 180
Battery, Tl13 6 kw-hr storage (6 kwhr) 2 2 6000
Low power H-grav, thrust 400 kg 8.0 20 12 10000
Robot brain (see below) 1.0 6.5 1.6 6750
Radio - 50 km 0.1 0.2 0.1 250
Neutrino Direction Sensor 5.0 8.0 4.0 1000
---------------------------------
14.1 36.7 20.05 24,180
Cost with discount: 19,344
20 Gs within 10 Diam., 10 Gs outside
Duration ~25 minutes at full thrust. Terminal velocity ~150 km/sec
Brain: 5 CPU, 11 Storage IQ 1, Edu 1
Programs: Low Data, Limited Basic Command, Grav Vehicle-1
Notes: This drone can be used as a cheap alternative to conventional
HE missiles in starship combat. It uses its Neutrino sensor to home
in on its assigned target. Rather than firing it out of a missile
rack, an easy way to launch it is to toss it out of the cargo bay
and order it to attack. The lack of the warhead is not important
for long range space targets, since the KE of something moving at
over 100 km/sec far exceeds the output of conventional explosives.
It will obviously not work on any target that doesn't have a
working fusion plant, and is less effective against targets at
visual range or less.
The Bighorn also has considerable space left in the hull,
and can be fitted with sensors and solar cells to give it longer
range and scouting capability. It also is relatively easy to
install a more capable brain for more sophisticated tasks.
W. Dow Rieder
When the only tool you have is a hammer, all your problems
start to look like nails...