re: Thruster Plate design question

Mark Urbin wrote:

> I'm designing a ship (a jump capable starship in my case) with Thruster
> Plates. I'm operating under the impression that the Thruster Plates
> provide lift as well as thrust.


   Thruster plates only provide thrust.  Going by DGP's explanation in SoM,
thruster plates can change the direction of thrust, but the amount of
thrust decreases as it moves away from its main axis, so you get only 10%
thrust in reverse.  A short, squat ship with it's thruster on the bottom (a
tradition flying saucer or cone shape for example) would be the best
configuration for a ship - uncomplicated VTOL ability, and the decks are at
right angles to the normal axis of thrust and the ground; if you lose your
inertial compensators or are sitting on the ground, the g-forces are coming
from the accustomed direction.

   You can, of course, define how it works for your own purposes.  You
could have thruster plates act on a volume like the contra-grav lifters.
This way you don't have to worry about the placement of the drive or the
axis of thrust.  , Another consequence is there won't be any feeling of
acceleration due to the drive - the drive is acting to accelerate on
everything in the volume.


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               Edjs                    _
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